Dhaka, May 13 -- The Election Commission (EC) has suspended Awami League's registration after the interim government banned all activities of the party headed by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

After a meeting on Monday evening, the EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the decision.

With this move, the path to elections has been shut for one of the country's oldest political parties, which remained in power for more than two decades across six terms.

A gazette notification issued by the commission said since the government has banned all activities of the Awami League and its associate, affiliated, and like-minded organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Commission is suspending the party's registration (No. 006, dated 03/1...