Once Bangladesh's largest political party, the Awami League has been outlawed since its leader Sheikh Hasina was overthrown in a mass uprising last year.

Now, its supporters -- encouraged by Hasina's social media calls to "resist" -- are staging flash mob protests defying the ban as the country prepares for elections from which the party is barred.

In the capital Dhaka, 45-year-old cleaner Mohammad Kashem described witnessing around 25 Awami League loyalists being chased, beaten and detained by police at one such rally.

"It's happening all over Dhaka," Kashem told AFP, saying videos of such spontaneous demonstrations appear constantly on social media.

"We see it every day on Facebook."

The elections, expected in February 2026, will be the first since Hasina fled into exile in India a

See Full Page