Thousands of British-Bangladeshis and Awami League activists staged a massive demonstration at London’s Trafalgar Square on Monday, demanding an immediate end to what they termed the “illegal and unconstitutional” interim government of Dr Muhammad Yunus.
Organised by the UK Awami League, the event was billed as the “Rally for Bangladesh” and drew a large crowd of expatriates waving banners, placards and posters. Participants raised slogans including “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu”, “Your address is ours, Padma Meghna Jamuna”, and “Sheikh Hasina will come, Bangladesh will smile,” echoing through central London.
Following the gathering at Trafalgar Square, protesters marched through the streets of London before heading to the British Parliament, where they announced plans to present a memorandum to lawmakers. Organisers said the demonstration was intended to highlight the deteriorating political and human rights situation in Bangladesh under the Yunus-led administration.
Speakers at the rally accused the interim government of systematically targeting Awami League leaders and supporters through arrests, harassment and torture. They branded Yunus a “fascist and murderer” and demanded his immediate resignation. Allegations were also raised that terrorism and militancy have resurfaced in the country due to the government’s “direct patronage and silent support.”
They further claimed that extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, rape and murder have become frequent under the current dispensation, urging the international community not to remain silent. The speakers pressed for urgent global action to protect democracy, restore rule of law and ensure free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the Bangladesh Awami League highlighted the symbolic significance of the venue, recalling that Trafalgar Square had hosted landmark rallies in 1971 to garner global support for Bangladesh’s Liberation War. “More than five decades later, the same square once again reverberated with the spirit of resistance,” the statement read.
The party alleged that in present-day Bangladesh, slogans like “Joy Bangla” are effectively suppressed, with supporters being charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act for merely participating in rallies or raising chants. It claimed that hundreds of thousands of activists — including lawyers, doctors, journalists, academics and freedom fighters — have been arrested in recent months.
Concluding the rally, organisers stressed that the ideals of the 1971 Liberation War remain the foundation of Bangladesh’s national identity, adding that terrorism, militancy and religious extremism have no place in the country. They called upon Bangladeshis abroad to remain united and to play an active role in mobilising international support.
“Today’s rally was more than just a demonstration. It was a message of solidarity to those being persecuted in Bangladesh: you are not alone,” the Awami League said.
