Awami League Leaders Are Terrorising July Revolution Families in Rangpur

They Fought for Bangladesh's Freedom. Now They're Being Threatened in Broad Daylight.

In Rangpur, the people who stood against a government and won are now living in fear. The July Revolution fighters and the families of those who died in the uprising are being openly threatened — not in secret, not at night — but in public, in their own neighbourhoods, by the very people they helped bring to justice.

And the police? They're watching it happen.

Out on Bail, Back on the Streets

Since the BNP-led government took power after the 13th parliamentary election, courts across Bangladesh have been granting bail to Awami League leaders and activists — one after another. Many of these individuals are accused of murder, assault, and violence carried out during the July Revolution of 2024.

The moment they walk out of jail, some of them head straight for the people who filed cases against them. Witnesses are being warned. Complainants are being told they'll "regret" what they did. Families of martyrs say they can barely sleep at night.

One student activist who helped lead the anti-discrimination movement in Rangpur said it plainly: "The people who attacked us, who killed our friends, who injured our families — they're back outside. And the police are doing nothing."

Gangachara, Pirgacha, Badarganj — The Pattern Is the Same Everywhere

This isn't a problem isolated to one area. Across multiple Rangpur sub-districts, the same picture is repeating itself.

In Gangachara, senior Awami League figures including a former Upazila chairman and party president are openly moving around and running party activities — despite having active cases against them filed in the local police station. At least 20 to 25 people with serious charges against them are known to be freely roaming the area. Police have not detained a single one.

In Pirgacha, local Awami League leaders are reportedly taking things further. They're invoking the name of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, telling families that "she will return" — a statement meant not as a political promise but as a warning.

In Badarganj, a former mayor facing multiple cases has allegedly been managing local police contacts to avoid arrest. Several other leaders and their associates are said to be intimidating witnesses in person.

Q1. Why are Awami League leaders being released on bail in Bangladesh? After the BNP-led government came to power following the 13th parliamentary election, courts across Bangladesh began granting bail to Awami League leaders and activists who had been arrested after the July Revolution of 2024. Many of them face serious charges including murder and violence connected to the uprising.

Q2. What are July Revolution fighters and why are they being threatened? The July Revolution refers to the student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh in 2024 that overthrew Sheikh Hasina's government. Those who participated — including protesters, students, and the families of those killed — are known as July fighters or July martyrs' families. Many filed criminal cases against Awami League members. After those accused were released on bail, some have returned to threaten the very people who filed those cases.

Q3. Why isn't the police taking action against these threats in Rangpur? According to sources inside the police force, many officers still have sympathies towards the Awami League and are either ignoring senior orders to make arrests or actively protecting the accused. In some cases, local BNP leaders are also said to be providing political cover to Awami League figures, which further reduces pressure on police to act. Senior officers have publicly said arrests will be made, but ground-level action remains absent.