Three key coordinators of the Students Movement Against Discrimination on Sunday filed two writ petitions seeking ban on political activities of the Awami League and its 10 allies.

The petitions filed by Sarjis Alam, Hasibul Islam and Md Abul Hasnat, also known as Hasnat Abdullah, also sought the cancellation of the results of the past three national elections and the recovery of the benefits enjoyed by the beneficiaries of the elections.

The key student leaders made the prayers citing the political parties’ alleged involvement in widespread violence, election manipulation, and severe constitutional violations.

The petitions were filed 12 weeks after the fall of the AL regime amid the student-led mass uprising on August 5.

The allies of AL, according to the petitioners, are Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Tarikat Federation, Liberal Democratic Party, Jatiya Party (Manju), Ganatantri Dal, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Marxist–Leninist (Barua), and Socialist Party of Bangladesh.

The petitions were accepted for hearing by a bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi, according to Deputy Attorney General Akhtar Hossain Md Abdul Wahab.

Previously, two other High Court benches declined to take up the petitions which were moved by senior lawyer Ahsanul Karim.

One of the petitions sought a ruling directing the interim government to explain why it should not be ordered to prohibit all political activities of the AL and its allies.

The petition alleged that these parties engaged in widespread violence, undermined democratic institutions, and unlawfully seized the state power.

Additionally, it requested an interim order prohibiting the AL and its allies from engaging in any political activities within the territory of Bangladesh until further notice.

In a related filing, the petitioners also sought a ruling questioning the validity of the results of the 10th, 11th, and 12th parliamentary elections held on January 5, 2014, December 30, 2018, and January 7, 2024, respectively.

The petitioners further prayed to the court to issue a rule to explain why sedition charges should not be brought against the Members of Parliament elected with AL or its allied parties’ nominations for contesting these elections.

Named respondents in the petitions include the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Election Commission, and the National Board of Revenue, as well as the AL and its 10 allies.

The petitions claimed that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her party orchestrated a violent crackdown, which the petitioners termed ‘July Massacre’, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, 400 students blinded, and more than 20,000 critically injured. Among the fatalities, 32 were reportedly children, with over 11,000 individuals detained nationwide.

They further asserted that those responsible for violence and bloodshed against citizens who peacefully voiced their concerns should not be entrusted with public office.

The petitioners, claiming that the AL and its allies have effectively undermined the rule of law which is an essential principle in Article 11 of the constitution, contended that the parties in question acted in self-interest under the guise of constitutional mandates, disregarding fundamental democratic values.

The petitions further alleged that none of the 11 political parties practiced democratic processes within their parties and that they were controlled by a single leader, undermining the democratic will of their members and the public.

The petitions claimed that these parties amassed substantial financial resources unethically and used these funds to manipulate recent elections.

This poses a severe threat to the integrity of future elections unless their funding sources are disclosed, the petitioners argued.

The petitions argued that the last three national elections in the past 15 years were marred by intimidation and manipulation.

They asserted that AL-backed forces prevented the opponents’ polling agents from entering polling centers, effectively controlling the election outcomes before votes were cast.

According to the petitions, this ‘collapse of the electoral process’ rendered citizens passive spectators and undermined the concept of free and fair elections.

In light of these alleged violations, the petitions call on the High Court to issue a ban on all political activities of the 11 political parties.