Dhaka, April 8 -- The BNP-led government of Bangladesh has given its formal backing to the Awami League ban after passing the country's Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance Bill, 2026, ratifying the controversial provisions laid down by the interim government last year, Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which completely banned the nation's largest party and all its affiliate groups.
Passed as an amendment to the country's original Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, the bill allows the banning of any socio-political entity, but does not contain any provision regarding the prohibition of an entity's activities.
After the latest amendment through the ordinance and now the bill, Section 18(1) now authorises the government to "ban all activiti...