Since Bangladesh's independence in 1971, 17 Awami League MPs have been murdered, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family in 1975. Seven MPs were killed during his tenure (1972-1975). Following his death, five more leaders were assassinated or executed.

Under Sheikh Hasina's leadership from 1981, four more MPs were murdered, with the latest being Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar, the first Bangladeshi MP killed outside the country. Anar's death in Kolkata is linked to a gold smuggling feud, and his dismembered body has yet to be found, complicating the declaration of his parliamentary seat as vacant.

Awami League leaders highlighted the different contexts of these murders, from political assassinations during Bangabandhu's era to state-sponsored killings during the BNP-Jamaat period. They emphasized the need for justice and opposition to all murders.