India, May 12 -- Bangladesh's caretaker administration has banned Awami League, even as a tribunal investigates and tries several party leaders over the deaths of of protesters before party chief Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister last year by a popular uprising. It has offered "protection of activists" who participated in the anti-Hasina protests, and "plaintiffs and witnesses in the trial" as justification. However, several concerns arise from the drastic step. One, the Awami League, whose history is tied to the creation and foundational vision of Bangladesh as a nation centred on Bengali identity, represents a particular line of political thought in the country's politics - a strand of which is secularism guiding the State. Banning the party sends out a signal that the caretaker administration - which has representation from most anti-Awami League outfits, including Islamists - wants to steer Bangladesh away from such a vision. Its implications are dire for a country where minority groups form a tenth of the population. Two, the ban will impact political representation in the country. Ensuring representation to Hasina critics was one of the drivers of the uprising. Thus, the caretaker administration banning the Awami League seems a repeat of Hasina-era blunders. Third, the ban shows the trial of Awami League leaders and activists in a dubious light. Whether fairness can be expected or not becomes uncertain. The caretaker administration must not play into the hands of the forces who want to rewrite Bangladesh's history. Democratic erosion is the last thing Bangladesh needs....