Political activities of the Awami League party in 2001, particularly in Mirpur [BGD40486.E]

The following is a chronological list of the political activities of the Awami League party in 2001 throughout Bangladesh, including in Mirpur:

  • 23 January:
  • Anti-hartal processions organized by the Awami League and "its front organisations" were held throughout Dhaka (The Daily Star 23 Jan. 2001).
  • 9 February:
  • An anti-hartal peace procession was held in Dhaka, including in Mirpur (ibid. 9 Feb. 2001a). In addition, the Awami League held "a meeting of party representatives from across the country" in Dhaka (ibid. 9 Feb. 2001b).
  • 15 February:
  • Anti-hartal processions organized by "units of Awami League" were held throughout Dhaka (ibid. 15 Feb. 2001).
  • 25 February:
  • "Supporters of Bangladesh Awami League and its front organisations took to [the] streets ... denouncing the anti-people hartal called by [the] four-party opposition alliance" (ibid. 26 Feb. 2001). The procession began at the Bangabandhu Avenue central office and paraded through different streets, including Noor Hossain Square, Paltan Square, Topkhana Road, Jatiya Press Club, Housing Building and Baitul Mukarram, and ending at the party central office (ibid.).
  • 24 March:
  • A public meeting took place at Cox's Bazar where Shiekh Hasina, leader of the Awami League Parliamentary Party made an address (ibid. 28 Mar. 2001).
  • 30 March:
  • A rally was scheduled by the Awami League's youth front in Nazirpur, in the district of Pirojpur, but resulted in clashes with supporters of the "four-party alliance (then in the political opposition)," who had earlier scheduled a rally to be held at the same venue and at the same time (Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002).

A public rally was held at the Parade Ground in Dhaka following processions throughout the city (Daily Star 28 Mar. 2001). During the processions, several bombs were set off to target Awami League supporters (ibid. 31 Mar. 2001).

  • 2 April:
  • "Awami League and its front organizations brought out a large peace procession in the city from party central office at Bangabandhu Avenue denouncing the opposition sponsored non-stop hartal (general strike)" (The Independent 3 Apr. 2001). The procession went through "Nur Hossain Square, Paltan Crossing and Topkhana Road and assembled at Muktangan where the protest rally was organized" (ibid.). Similar, smaller processions were also organized in other parts of Dhaka, including Mirpur (ibid.).
  • 10 April:
  • "Awami League and its front organisations brought out a number of peace processions in the city yesterday, protesting the countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP-led four-party opposition alliance" (The Daily Star 10 Apr. 2001).
  • 4 May:
  • "[A] huge rally [was] organised by Dhaka District Awami League at Savar Bus Stand as part of the party's countryside programme 'Shukrana Dibash' to express the gratitude to the Almighty Allah for the High Court verdict on Bangabandhu murder" (The New Nation 5 May 2001).
  • 12 May:
  • A large public rally was held in Satkhira to "mobilise support for Awami League for the next general election aimed at consolidating democracy and protecting the national interests" (ibid. 13 May 2001).
  • 16 June:
  • A political rally was held in the Awami League's office in Narayanganj (10 miles from Dhaka), during which a bomb exploded causing between 15 and 21 deaths (Rediff 17 June 2001; Ananova 16 June 2001).
  • 17 June:
  • Awami League "activists brought out processions and held rallies in the city and at some district towns yesterday protesting Saturday night's bomb attack at their party office at Narayanganj. In the city, they held a rally at the Muktangan..." (Daily Star 18 June 2001).
  • 23 June:
  • The Awami League had planned celebrations in Dhaka to mark the completion of its five years in power (Gulf News 15 June 2001), but the Research Directorate could not find any information among the sources consulted to confirm whether such celebrations took place.
  • 6 July:
  • A rally by the supporters of the Awami League was held in Rangpur (220 miles north-west of Dhaka), where clashes erupted with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who attempted to prevent the rally (CNN 7 July 2001).
  • 14-15 July:
  • Rallies and marches were held by both the Awami League and the BNP "in different parts of the country" (AFP 15 July 2001). According to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001, on 15 July 2001, "[s]ix persons were injured when bombs were thrown at an Awami League procession, led by M.P. Haji Selim in the Lalbagh district of Dhaka. Bombs also were thrown at buses carrying Awami League activists to the National Parade Grounds where they had scheduled a rally" (4 Mar. 2002).

In addition, the Awami League held victory celebrations in Mirpur on 14 and 15 July (The Daily Star 25 July 2001).

  • 16 July:
  • A rally was held in Dhaka's Paltan Maidan to demand that the caretaker government take necessary action to punish those responsible for the death of at least five people on 15 July (The Independent 17 July 2001).
  • 30 July:
  • The Awami League organized a march, which was scheduled to be held in Dhaka, the "first public rally since handing over power to [the] caretaker government" (AFP 30 July 2001), but the Research Directorate could not find any information to confirm whether it did take place.
  • 9 September:
  • The Awami League held a press conference in Dhaka (Xinhua 9 Sept. 2001).
  • 10 September:
  • Following an election rally to announce its "21-point election manifesto" at the Harinathpur bazar in Sirajganj, BNP supporters "hurled bombs on a procession of Awami League" (The Daily Star 10 Sept. 2001).
  • 11 September:
  • A public meeting called by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was held "at Polo Ground in the port city, Chittagong" (ibid. 12 Sept. 2001).
  • 14-16 September:
  • Sheikh Hasina conducted a three-day election tour of the southern and south-western districts of Bangladesh (ibid. 17 Sept. 2001).
  • 20 September:
  • An election rally was held by the Awami League at Peergonz (Bangladesh.com 20 Sept. 2001).
  • 23 September:
  • An Awami League election rally was held by the Awami League in the Mollahat area of the district of Bagerhat in the south-western part of Bangladesh, during which a bomb explosion occurred, killing several people (AFP 23 Sept. 2001; BBC 23 Sept. 2001).
  • 26 September:
  • An election rally was held in the north-eastern part of Sunamganj district, during which an explosion took place (India Info 26 Sept. 2001).
  • 28 September:
  • A large Awami League rally was held in Dhaka (BBC 28 Sept. 2001; AFP 29 Sept. 2001).
  • 5-10 October:
  • The Awami League held a demonstration in Dhaka on 5 October 2001, demanding the cancellation of the 1 October parliamentary election results (The Daily Star 6 Oct. 2001). The demonstration was followed by a procession that "was brought out from the rally venue. It paraded up to the Jatiya Press Club..." (ibid.). This was to be followed by protest rallies to be held from 6 to 9 October, and a road barricade on 10 October (ibid.). The Research Directorate was not able to find information among the sources consulted to confirm whether this took place.
  • 17 October:
  • An Awami League party meeting was held in Mirpur (The Independent 17 Oct. 2001).
  • 27 October:
  • A protest rally was held in Dhaka where Sheikh Hasina made an address (AFP 28 Oct. 2001).
  • 14 November:
  • A mass rally was held by the Awami League in Faridpur (IPS 14 Nov. 2001).
  • 2 December:
  • A strike was called by Awami League supporters in Dhaka to protest "against the government's withdrawal of special police protection for their leader Sheikh Hasina" and against the "breakdown in law and order, and attacks allegedly carried out by supporters of the government on the country's Hindu minority" (BBC 2 Dec. 2001). The strike, which was "the first [to be] called by the Awami League since it lost [in] October's elections," resulted in "violent clashes" with the police (ibid.).
  • 31 December:
  • "Chittagong city units of Awami League and BCL [Bangladesh Chhatra League] brought out a protest procession and held a rally in front of the Shaheed Minar..." (The Daily Star 31 Dec. 2001).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References


Agence France Presse (AFP). 28 October 2001. Golam Tahaboor. "Opposition Boycotts Bangladesh Parliament's Opening Session." (NEXIS)

_____. 29 September 2001. Barry Neild. "Violence Simmers Across Bangladesh as Election Campaign Enters Final Phase." (NEXIS)

_____. 23 September 2001. "AFP: Police Says Six Killed, 24 Injured in Bangladesh Election Rally." (FBIS-NES-2001-0923 23 Sept. 2001/WNC)

_____. 30 July 2001. "Bangladeshi Campuses Shut Down by Political Clashes." (NEXIS)

_____. 15 July 2001. Nadeem Qadir. "AFP: 10 Killed in Two Days of Political Violence in Bangladesh." (FBIS-NES-2001-0715 15 July 2001/WNC)

Ananova. 16 June 2001. "Bomb Blast Kills 15 at Political Rally in Bangladesh." http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_328960.html [Accessed 4 Dec. 2001]

Bangladesh.com. 20 September 2001. "Election Photo Gallery." http://www.webbangladesh.com/election/elec_gallery/sep-20-01/elec_gall.htm [Accessed 4 Dec. 2002]

BBC. 2 December 2001. Alastair Lawson. "Dhaka Clashes Follow Strike." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1687625.stm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

_____. 28 September 2001. "Campaigning Ends in Bangladesh." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1568657.stm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

_____. 23 September 2001. Alastair Lawson. "Bangladesh Rally Bombed." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1559505.stm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

CNN. 7 July 2001. "Bangladesh Clashes Injure 200." http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/07/bangla.injured/index.html [Accessed 3 Dec. 2001]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/sa/8224pf.htm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

The Daily Star [Dhaka, in English.]. 31 December 2001. "Murtuza Murder: BCL Calls Hartal in North Chittagong Tomorrow." (NEXIS)

_____. 6 October 2001. "AL Begins Week-Long Agitation Programme." http://www.webbangladesh.com/election/news-41.htm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

_____. 17 September 2001. Nazmul Ashraf. "BNP Forged Alliance with Razakars, Killers: Hasina." (NEXIS)

_____. 12 September 2001. Abul Kalam Azad. "Instigation to Terrorism Won't Be Tolerated, Hasina Warns at Ctg Rally." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 September 2001. "AL-BNP Clashes Leave 51 Hurt at Different Places." (NEXIS)

_____. 25 July 2001. "AL Demands Arrest of BNP Leader of Kushtia." (NEXIS)

_____. 18 June 2001. "Bomb Blast at Narayanganj AL Office: Violent Protests in City, Dists." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 April 2001. "Anti-hartal Processions in City." (NEXIS)

_____. 31 March 2001. "8 Hurt as Bombs Hurled on AL Processions." (NEXIS)

_____. 28 March 2001. Reaz Ahmad. "Uncertainty Dampens Election Mood Among AL Workers." (NEXIS)

_____. 26 February 2001. "Anti-hartal Processions Held in the City." (NEXIS)

_____. 15 February 2001. "Bomb Blasts Kill One, Hurt 10 in City." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 February 2001a. "AL Peace Procession in City Against Hartal." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 February 2001b. Reaz Ahmad. "AL Unveils Campaign Plan for Next Polls." (NEXIS)

_____. 23 January 2001. "Peaceful Hartal Paralyses Normal Life." (NEXIS)

Gulf News. 15 June 2001. Rashed Chowdhury"Hasina, Khaleda Square Off for Pre-Poll Showdowns." (NEXIS)

The Independent [Dhaka, in English]. 17 October 2001. "More Organizations Slate Attacks on Minorities." (NEXIS)

_____. 17 July 2001. "AL Urges CA to Take Action Against Killers of 5 People." (NEXIS)

_____. 3 April 2001. "Anti-hartal Procession: Opposition Enforces Hartal to Ruin Democracy, Say AL Leaders." (NEXIS)

India Info. 26 September 2001. "Blast at Awami League Rally Kills 4 in Bangla." http://news.indiainfo.com/2001/09/26/26bangla.html [Accessed 4 Dec. 2002]

Inter Press Service (IPS). 14 November 2001. Sarbari Majumdar. "Rights: Hindus, Opposition Party Supporters Flee Bangladesh." (NEXIS)

The New Nation [Dhaka, in English]. 13 May 2001. "Mobilise Support for AL: Zillur." http://www.nation-online.com/200105/13/n1051306.htm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2001]

_____. 5 May 2001. "HC Verdict a Milestone for Rule of Law, Says Razzak." http://www.nation-online.com/200105/05/n1050506.htm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2001]

Rediff. 17 June 2001. "21 Killed in Bangladesh Blast." http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/jun/16bangla.htm [Accessed 3 Dec. 2001]

Xinhua. 9 September 2001. "Bangladeshi Former Ruling Party Announces Election Manifesto." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted


Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.ca

Bangladesh Awami League http://www.albd.org/

Bangladesh International Community News http://bicn.com/

The Daily Inqilab http://www.dailyinqilab.com/ (In Bengali)

The Daily Ittefaq http://www.ittefaq.com/ (No search facility by subject keywords)

Dhaka Bangladesh http://www.dhaka-bangladesh.com/

Freedom House. Freedom in the World Report 2001-2002. http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/index.htm

Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/

News from Bangladesh http://bangladesh-web.com/news/

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