Yunus Regime Bans National Mourning Day, Deploys Police and Vigil Mobs
The decision demonstrates how the caretaker government is leveraging legal changes with security measures to sideline political opponents.
Overview
- Interim government under Muhammad Yunus officially scrapped August 15’s status as National Mourning Day and warned that anyone defying the ban between August 15 and 30 would face legal action, according to press secretary Shafiqul Alam.
- On August 15, security forces and several hundred vigil mobs formed tight cordons around the 32 Dhanmondi residence and the Tungipara shrine, preventing thousands of mourners from accessing the sites.
- Witnesses and video footage documented vigil mobs assaulting suspected Awami League supporters and handing detainees over to riot police, who then detained multiple individuals.
- The Awami League condemned the ban as unconstitutional suppression, accusing the caretaker regime of using restructured legal bodies like the International Crimes Tribunal to target its leaders and silence dissent.
- Human rights observers and international monitors have raised alarms over growing restrictions on assembly and expression as the interim administration consolidates power ahead of in-absentia trials and elections.