Banned Awami League’s meeting in Sylhet sparks debate

The banned Awami League reportedly held a discussion and prayer meeting in Sylhet city on Tuesday night to mark Jail Killing Day, sparking widespread debate after video of the gathering went viral on social media.

According to relevant sources, the meeting was held at an undisclosed location in the city. Leaders of the banned party and its affiliated organizations later shared video and photographs of the gathering on social media.

The banner visible in the viral photographs read: “Discussion and Prayer Meeting on the Occasion of Jail Killing Day, Date: 3 November 2026, Organised by: Sylhet District Awami League.”

Contacted for clarification, Sylhet District Awami League Office Secretary Jaglu Chowdhury confirmed the authenticity of the photographs, saying the discussion and prayer meeting had indeed been organized by the district unit.

According to Jaglu, the meeting was presided over by district Awami League Vice-President Naznin Hossain Chowdhury, while he moderated the programme. 

Around 50 leaders and activists from the district and metropolitan Awami League units and various affiliated organisations attended the gathering.

Sylhet Metropolitan BNP General Secretary Imdad Hossain Chowdhury said the Awami League's activities are currently banned and questioned how the party managed to organize the gathering.

“If someone holds a programme behind closed doors, hiding inside a house, what can I say about that? It means the Awami League has reached a state of decay. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that they are unable to find a proper place to hold their activities,” he said.

He demanded that law enforcement agencies would investigate the matter and take necessary action.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters and Administration) Md Afzal Hossain said, “We have seen this on Facebook. However, I do not know where it was held or when the photographs were taken. I have not been able to identify the location yet.”

“We are asking our personnel to look into whether this is a recent incident and determine where and when it happened,” he added. 

The posts also drew sharp criticism from local leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), who questioned the vigilance and role of law enforcement agencies.