Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Bangladesh Awami League, has been banned on charges of "killings and destructive and terrorist acts", in the first major action following the AL government's fall.
To this effect, the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry of the current interim government issued Wednesday a gazette notification with immediate effect.
"The ban will be enforced under Clause 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009," says the notification outlawing the country's oldest student organisation born after the independence of Pakistan.
The firman further says the Chhatra League will be recognized as a "terrorist organization from now on".
The BCL, formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, was founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 4 January 1948.
Meanwhile, several organisations and platforms, including the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement, have been demanding a ban on Bangladesh Chhatra League for the atrocities committed during the July uprising that overthrew the Sheikh Hasina government.
To justify the action the government mentions that there were many allegations against leaders and activists of the Chhatra League involving murders, rapes, attacks and extortions during the past three tenures of the Awami League government.
Allegations have also been raised against the Chhatra League of setting up torture-rooms in different halls of public universities across the country to torture general students, the notification reads.
smjahangirfe@gmail.com