Awami League’s Peaceful March Meets Brutal Resistance: Is Protesting a Crime in a Democracy?

Is a Peaceful March Treated As a Crime in a Democracy

Awami League leaders and activists once again took to the streets in a massive rally towards the National Parliament, demanding the resignation of the illegal Yunus government. The march, intended as a peaceful show of people’s strength, quickly turned into yet another scene of state-sponsored repression. Instead of ensuring the right to peaceful assembly, police and army units were deployed, and organized mobs launched coordinated attempts to stop the procession. Many leaders and activists were dragged away in mass arrests, their only “crime” being the courage to stand up for democracy.

This unfolding reality raises a stark question: in a country that claims to be democratic, is peaceful protesting now treated as an offense? When citizens are punished for marching with their political convictions, it signals not the strength of a government, but its deepest fear.

Is it the Military and Police’s Job to Suppress Citizens? 

The massive Awami League rally, meant to exercise a basic democratic right, was met with a level of repression that reveals the depths of the regime’s fear. From the very beginning, police blockades were strategically placed to halt the march, turning public streets into virtual cages. Leaders and activists, peacefully holding flags and chanting slogans, were shoved, beaten, and forcibly dragged into police vehicles. The so-called law enforcement, tasked with protecting citizens, instead acted as instruments of intimidation and oppression.

Even more shocking was the deployment of the army against unarmed protesters. Soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with police, erecting barriers and enforcing violence as if civilians marching for democracy were enemies of the state. This raises a crucial question: is it the role of the military in a democracy to suppress citizens exercising their constitutional rights? The answer, painfully clear, exposes a disturbing militarization of civic life.

The public, not surprisingly, has responded with scorn. Citizens have taken to calling the combined force of police and military the “Chowkidar Bahini”, a derisive label that captures the loss of credibility and legitimacy. What was meant to protect the people now appears only to serve the interests of a regime terrified of its own citizens. Peaceful protest, instead of being respected, has become a battlefield, and the very institutions sworn to uphold law and order have been twisted into tools of partisan suppression.

Why Are Opposition Empowered to Arrest? Who Gave Them The Authority?

As if the brutal actions of police and army were not enough, the situation has taken a dangerous and unprecedented turn: opposition activists are now openly detaining and handing over Awami League supporters to law enforcement. Political rivals are acting with the authority of the state, arresting citizens simply for exercising their democratic rights. This is not democracy; this is the outright weaponization of politics against the people.

Granting opposition parties the power to act like law enforcement sets a perilous precedent. When political adversaries can decide who is “guilty” and hand them over to authorities, the very foundation of justice crumbles. The rule of law is no longer impartial; it has been hijacked and repurposed to serve partisan objectives.

Opposition’s Open Threats of Violence

The assault on democracy does not stop with police blockades or military intervention. Opposition leaders have openly declared that “all countermeasures against Awami League are now justified,” signaling a shocking endorsement of violence as a political tool. This is not hidden rhetoric; it is a brazen warning to activists and citizens alike: participating in a peaceful rally could make you a target anywhere, anytime.

The threats go beyond the immediate streets of Bangladesh. Opposition figures have explicitly indicated that Awami League members could face resistance not only in courts and public spaces, but even abroad. Such statements reveal a dangerous blueprint: the normalization and institutionalization of political violence. When threats are made with impunity, and when law enforcement fails to act impartially, political aggression becomes an accepted strategy rather than a crime.

Why Fear Awami League’s Rallies?

Every peaceful Awami League march is met with an overwhelming show of force, police blockades, army deployment, and organized mobs, all working in tandem to stop citizens from exercising their democratic rights. The question is unavoidable: why does a simple, peaceful procession provoke such panic? The answer lies in fear. The illegal government knows that the people’s support is slipping, and it cannot tolerate visible demonstrations of public dissent.

If the regime truly had legitimacy, it would not feel threatened by citizens walking peacefully in the streets. The very fact that armed forces and partisan mobs are mobilized to block rallies exposes the insecurity at the heart of power. Their overreaction is a confession: Awami League’s message resonates, and the people are listening.

Yet, despite mass arrests, intimidation, and violence, the Awami League continues to march, undeterred. This resilience is proof that the party’s support is growing stronger with every attempt to suppress it. No amount of fear, force, or partisan aggression can silence the voice of a people determined to reclaim their democracy.