Bangladesh’s Awami League on Monday strongly criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, alleging that it is eroding the values and achievements of the country’s 1971 Liberation War as the nation begins observing December as Victory Month.

In a sharp statement, the party said the “illegitimate, occupying killer-fascist Yunus group” aims to weaken the legacy of Bangladesh’s independence. “Serving foreign interests, they want the nation to unquestioningly accept their subservience,” the Awami League claimed.

Recalling the historic victory achieved on December 16, 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the party said the Bengali people had broken centuries of oppression through the Liberation War to achieve sovereignty.

The Awami League alleged that both internal and external anti-liberation forces have continuously sought to tarnish this accomplishment. “They were deeply angered by this Himalayan victory of a united Bengali nation. Since then, they have worked to destroy the ideals of the Liberation War and push Bangladesh back toward a Pakistani ideology,” the statement read.

According to the party, these elements intensified their efforts whenever political conditions allowed it. One such “conspiracy,” it alleged, unfolded during July–August 2024, when the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina was forcibly removed from power.

Describing the current situation under the Yunus-led administration, the Awami League claimed that citizens are being deprived of their rights and constitutional protections. “Factories are closing, leaving hundreds of thousands jobless. Farmers lack fertiliser. Social welfare schemes for the poor have been scrapped. Law and order has deteriorated. National capacity and the economy have collapsed,” the party said.

It further alleged that state mechanisms are being misused to reward “illegal occupiers” loyal to foreign powers, asserting that the interim government’s actions appear aimed at “handing Bangladesh over to external interests.”

Marking the beginning of Victory Month, the Awami League urged all patriotic citizens, pro-Liberation groups, and party members to unite under the ideals of the Liberation War, the principles of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the sacrifices of the martyrs.