Dhaka is on a razor's edge again, and honestly, it feels like a movie we've all watched way too many times.
The government just issued a massive nationwide security alert. They're terrified of widespread unrest surrounding June 23, which marks the founding anniversary of the now-banned Awami League. Yes, that's the political machine of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the woman who ruled with an iron fist until the historic July Uprising toppled her regime back in August 2024.
You'd think that after two years, a major election, and a completely new administration, the political landscape would have stabilized. It hasn't. The fear of what a few flash protests could do to this fragile transition has the state apparatus completely spooked. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed didn't mince words over the weekend, openly branding the oldest political party in Bangladesh as a "mafia organisation" rather than a legitimate political entity.
The Scope of the Crackdown
If you want to understand how worried the authorities actually are, look at the sheer numbers. This isn't just routine policing. The Ministry of Home Affairs just fired off an urgent directive requesting the immediate deployment of the military under the "In Aid to Civil Power" framework.
We aren't talking about a one-day deployment either. The army is hitting the streets from June 22 to June 30 across major flashpoints. The security blanket covers critical hubs including:
- Dhaka
- Chattogram
- Gazipur
- Narayanganj
- Gopalganj (the traditional Hasina family stronghold)
- Faridpur
In Dhaka alone, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police are setting up checkpoints at over 200 strategic locations. More than 18,000 officers are being deployed to seal the entry points of the capital. The goal is simple: keep outsiders from smuggling themselves into the city to spark a riot.
Why the Anniversary Has Everyone Spooked
So, what exactly is the state trying to stop? According to internal police intelligence, Awami League activists plan to stage sudden flash processions, hoist party flags at local offices, and display banners to mark the party's 1949 founding.
On paper, that sounds like standard, harmless political theater. In reality, it's a powder keg.
The current political reality in Bangladesh is fiercely polarized. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus previously amended the Anti-Terrorism Act to ban all Awami League activities, a stance that the subsequent elected parliament under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) locked down via ordinance in April.
Because the party is legally dead, any public display of their banner is viewed as open defiance. If Awami League loyalists hit the streets, they won't just face the police. They will run directly into counter-protesters from the student-led National Citizen Party and the remnants of the Students Against Discrimination movement.
That means immediate, bloody street fights. We've already seen the prelude. Police operations over the last few days have netted at least 103 Awami League leaders and activists across major cities on charges of plotting sabotage. Earlier this month in Chattogram, another 68 were thrown in jail for holding unauthorized marches.
The Mistakes of the New Regime
The current administration is learning a brutal lesson: banning a party on paper doesn't erase its footprint from the physical world. For a party that led the 1971 Liberation War and dominated the country's institutions for fifteen straight years, a total media and political blackout only forces the network underground.
The state's aggressive preemptive lock-downs show a deep underlying anxiety. By deploying the army for nine days over a single political anniversary, the government accidentally signals that the ghost of the old regime still holds immense disruptive power.
If you are currently traveling or operating a business in Dhaka or Chattogram, expect severe traffic delays, sudden road closures, and random identity checks at major roundabouts over the next week. Avoid any spontaneous public gatherings, especially near old local political offices. The situation can shift from a quiet street to a tear-gas-filled clash within minutes.
