Awami League calls for protest seeking resignation of Yunus-led govt in Feb

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Ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has announced a series of protests demanding the resignation of Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for its "oppression" of the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh.

This comes as the first major demonstration by the Awami League, whose most of the leaders have either been arrested or underground since the fall of the Hasina-led government on August 5 last year following a students-led anti-discrimination movement.

According to a statement posted on Awami League's verified Facebook page, the party will take to the streets starting February 1 to press for the resignation of the interim government and implement the strike and blockade programmes.

The statement said the party would distribute leaflets and campaign for their demands from Saturday to Wednesday.

Protest marches and rallies will be held nationwide on February 6, followed by demonstrations and rallies on February 10.

It said a nationwide blockade has been announced for February 16, and a dawn-to-dusk "strict" strike will occur on February 18.

The statement, which referred to Hasina as the "prime minister" despite the Awami League being ousted from power, also demanded the withdrawal of murder cases and other charges against the ousted prime minister and other party leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal.

It termed the cases against Hasina and others "farcical trials".

Previously, the ousted party had announced plans to take to the streets on November 10 but failed to do so.

Despite the new call for protests, blockades, rallies, and strikes, the Awami League has been largely inactive since August 5 when party President Sheikh Hasina escaped to India following the mass uprising.