Criticism of Bangladesh Awami League

The negative aspects of Bangladesh Awami League, as discussed in the media

Criticism of Bangladesh Awami League is the criticized incidents and activities of Bangladeshi political party named Bangladesh Awami League and all its related political organizations, including Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, etc. and other related bodies in which Awami League is directly or indirectly involved or claimed to be involved inwhile it is in power or not।[1] Some notable examples are the murder of Abrar Fahad, Padma Bridge graft scandal, Murder of Biswajit Das, Murder of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, Bangladesh Rifles revolt, 2013 Shapla Square protests, Bangladesh quota reform movement, Violence of Bangladesh Chhatra League, S Alam Group scandal, Logi Boitha movement, disputed elections in 2009, 2014 and 2018, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant corruption etc.[2]

## Murder of Abrar Fahad

[edit]

Main article: Murder of Abrar Fahad

Protest against the killing of BUET student Abrar Fahad

'Abrar Fahad was a second-year student in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He was brutally tortured and killed inside BUET's Sher-e-Bangla Hall by leaders associated with BUET's Chhatra League, a student political organization. The incident sparked national outrage and led to protests against campus violence. Abrar's murderers were later sentenced to death following a highly publicized trial.[3][4] An autopsy report later confirmed that Fahad died as a result of severe blunt force trauma.[5][6]

## Murder of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi

[edit]

Main article: Murder of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi

The murder of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi is about the unsolved double murder case of two well-known, married Bangladeshi journalists who were stabbed to death.[7][8][9][10][11][12] The case is still open and DNA testing showed that it was possible two men were involved in the murder.[13] The couple's murder received high-level political attention and widespread media coverage in Bangladesh, and attracted German interest as Sarowar had lived in Germany and had worked as a journalist for Deutsche Welle. The case was also closely watched by journalists and international press freedom organisations.[8][14][15][16] The couple's murder also unified organisations representing Bangladeshi journalists that had once been separate.[17] A representative of the family said, "In the past 25 years, this has been the most talked/written about, prioritized case in Bangladesh."[18][19] A demonstration was called in 2017 for the fifth anniversary of the murder in order to call for the release of the investigation report.[20]

## Murder of Biswajit Das

[edit]

Main article: Murder of Biswajit Das

Biswajit Das was a 24-year-old tailor in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who was murdered on 9 December 2012 by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the governing Awami League party.[21] On that day there was a nationwide road blockade, called by the opposition 18 Party Alliance. That morning, Das was on his way to his shop, Amantron Tailors at Shankhari Bazaar in Old Dhaka, when one or more small bombs exploded near an anti-blockade procession of BCL activists from Jagannath University.[22][23][24] A group of them mistook Das for an opposition supporter and chased him from near Bahadur Shah Park into a nearby building.[23] They attacked him with machetes, iron bars, and hockey sticks.[22] Das attempted to escape, but fell down at Shankhari Bazar Road. A rickshaw-puller took Das to Mitford Hospital, where he shortly died of his wounds.[23]

## Padma Bridge graft scandal

[edit]

Main article: Padma Bridge graft scandal

The Padma Bridge graft scandal was a political scandal in Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017, involving the Bangladesh Awami League and the Padma Bridge, a 6.15-kilometer (3.82 mi) road-rail bridge across the Padma River and Bangladesh's longest bridge.

The World Bank were to have financed the project with ৳11,367 crore (US$1.2 billion) of credit, but they pulled out citing corruption concerns, specifically that Canadian construction company SNC-Lavalin had bribed a Bangladeshi official in exchange for a construction contract.[25]

Two SNC-Lavalin executives were charged in Canada, but after the court excluded wiretap evidence the prosecution withdrew and the court dismissed the case.[26][27]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ হোসেন, আনোয়ার (2024-06-23). "আওয়ামী লীগের ৭৫ বছর: সাফল্যের পাশাপাশি আছে সমালোচনাও". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-08-21.
2. ^ লিটন, শাখাওয়াত (2017-08-10). "সব দায় কি আওয়ামী লীগের একার?". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
3. ^ "Abrar Fahad: Killing of Bangladesh student triggers protests". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
4. ^ "9 held over Buet student Abrar murder". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
5. ^ "Autopsy report: Abrar was beaten to death". Dhaka Tribune. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
6. ^ "Buet student beaten to death: Critical FB post costs him his life?". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
7. ^ "Police: Journalist couple killed in Bangladesh". The Guardian. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
8. ^ a b Berning, Sarah. "Ex Deutsche Welle journalist victim of brutal stabbing at home in Dhaka". Deutsche Welle.
9. ^ Sarkar, Kailash; Mollah, Shaheen (12 February 2012). "Journalist couple killed". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
10. ^ "No case, probe headway". bdnews24.com. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
11. ^ "Journalist couple murdered in city". New Age. 11 February 2012. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
12. ^ "Sagar Sarwar And Mehrun Runi, Journalist Couple, Killed in Bangladesh". Huffington Post. Associated Press. 11 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
13. ^ "No light in sight in Sagar-Runi murder case even after 3 yrs". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 11 February 2015.
14. ^ "Bangladesh: TV journalist couple murdered in Dhaka". BBC News. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
15. ^ Ahmad, Shamim (23 February 2012). "Turbulence ahead". Dhaka Courier. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
16. ^ Jones, Kristin (27 February 2012). "Bangladeshi journalists call for justice in couple's murder". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
17. ^ "2 factions of BFUJ, DUJ mull unity". The Daily Star. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
18. ^ Hossain, Anika (2013-03-05). "CASE: OPEN". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
19. ^ Ullah, Md Ahamed (4 March 2012). "Many murders in the month of martyrs". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
20. ^ "Sagar-Runi killing: Journalists to launch tough movement". Dhaka Tribune. 11 February 2017.
21. ^ "Biswajit Murder: HC verdict on Aug 6". The Daily Star. July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
22. ^ a b "21 BCL men indicted". The Daily Star. Jun 3, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
23. ^ a b c "Eight to die for Biswajit murder, 13 get life". bdnews24.com. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
24. ^ "Bangladesh sentences eight students to death for murder". LiveMint. Agence France-Presse. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
25. ^ "World Bank cancels Bangladesh bridge loan over corruption". BBC News. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
26. ^ "Canada court finds no proof of Padma bridge bribery conspiracy". The Daily Star. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
27. ^ "Did a Canada Court Really Clear Bangladesh Officials of Corruption?". thewire.in. Retrieved 2022-01-01.