Police link June rally to bomb blasts, arrest 53 Awami League activists

Earlier in August, Dhaka Metropolitan Police reported the arrest of 53 Awami League leaders and workers from a residential building in Basundhara. The detainees had gathered for a meeting and a flash march marking the mourning day of August 15. Police from Bhatara station launched a raid, seizing the activists as part of an ongoing crackdown that started after the June 18 rally. The Awami League condemned the operations, saying they signal a shrinking space for democratic expression and the celebration of religious or national occasions.