After thousands of protesters demanded that the Awami League (AL) be banned in Bangladesh, the country's interim government decided to impose a ban on all activities of the party while a special tribunal probes its role in last year's deadly unrest.

While the AL has not been fully outlawed, the authorities have ordered a halt on all activities "including in cyberspace" under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"This decision is intended to safeguard national security and sovereignty, protect the leaders and activists of the July Movement, and ensure the safety of plaintiffs and witnesses involved in the tribunal," interim government's law adviser Asif Nazrul said on Saturday after an emergency meeting of the council of advisers, headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

The Awami League is Bangladesh's oldest political party. It led Bangladesh's 1971 independence war against Pakistan under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and then dominated the country's political life for decades. Sheikh Hasina, Mujibur Rahman's daughter and the party's president since 1981, was ousted last year amid violence surrounding a mass uprising, which is now referred to as the "July Movement." She is currently in exile in India and faces multiple criminal........

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