Dhaka:The Awami League has been identified as the political party associated with the highest number of incidents of political violence in Bangladesh over the past three decades. This revelation comes from an analysis conducted by BanglaFact, the fact-checking and media research team of the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the report details that the Awami League was linked to at least 11,500 incidents of political violence between the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991 and the fall of the government on August 5, 2024. This analysis comes amidst discussions about the political future of the Awami League following a ban on its activities and speculation around the possible return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India in December.
The report highlights that the Awami League's involvement in political violence has been consistent, including a fatal bus arson attack on the eve of its November 9 hartal. BanglaFact utilized data from multiple sources, including a database compiled by researchers from Belgium's Ghent University and the University of Dhaka, statistics from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), and information from a government gazette listing those killed during the July uprising.
The analysis of incidents from 1991 to 2018, conducted by researchers at Ghent University and the University of Dhaka, found that the Awami League was associated with 30.2 percent of reported incidents, totaling approximately 11,300 cases. The Bangladesh Chhatra League was involved separately in 17.9 percent of incidents. The study suggested that the actual numbers might be higher due to underreporting in newspapers.
In recent years, the Awami League's internal conflicts have also been significant. In 2023, HRSS data showed that 96 people were killed and at least 9,258 injured in 933 incidents of political violence, primarily stemming from internal party conflicts and election-related violence. In 2024, 35 of the 41 people killed in political violence during the first six months died in internal conflicts within the Awami League.
The July uprising of 2024 further amplified the violence, with 843 people killed during clashes with law enforcement and the ruling party forces. The UN fact-finding report attributed most deaths to gunfire by security forces, and the political responsibility was placed on the Awami League's top leadership. Sheikh Hasina and the then Home Minister were sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 for crimes against humanity.
BanglaFact and other organizations have noted a rise in misinformation and false claims surrounding these events, propagated via social media platforms operated by the banned Awami League and its associates, targeting the BNP and the government.