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

"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 as crowds stormed her palace, ending her 15-year rule.

She has since defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to

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