Bangladesh bans publicity for terror-linked individuals, entities

Bangladesh has banned the publication or dissemination of statements and any other publicity of individuals or organisations charged under a revised terrorism law, a day after it disbanded deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League's activities until the trial of its leaders under the same law.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin Sunday night promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act which prohibits such activities.

The President signed the draft hours after the Council of Advisers or the interim Cabinet led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus approved the ordinance to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009.

The law ministry later published the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.

The revised law prohibits any form of publicity, including press statements, social media content, or public gatherings in support of such individuals or entities.

The development came a day after the interim administration slapped the ban on the Awami League's activities.

The ban will be in place until a special tribunal completes a trial of the party and its leaders over the deaths of people killed during a three-week uprising led by a student platform last year.

It also broadened the scope of restrictions by replacing the previous reference to "listed individuals or banned entities" with a more general phrase: "any individual or entity against whom action has been taken under sub-section (1) of Section 18" of the anti-terrorism law.

Yunus’s office earlier said that since there is no provision in the existing Anti-Terrorism Act on the ban of activities of any entity, it was appropriate and necessary to further amend the 2009 law to make it time-befitting.

Hasina’s 16-year-long Awami League regime was toppled on August 5 last year in the student-led violent mass uprising, prompting the 77-year-old former prime minister to flee to India.

Three days after her ouster, Yunus took charge as the chief adviser of the interim government.

Hasina and many of her party leaders have been facing hundreds of cases, including those of mass murder and corruption, since then. Most of her party leaders and ministers in her government have either been arrested or fled abroad.