BNP welcomes ban on Awami League
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the interim government’s decision to ban activities of Awami League made his party happy.
In a statement issued today, Sunday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, “We are pleased that the interim government, albeit delayed, has finally taken the step to halt the activities of the fascist Awami League and its affiliated bodies to ensure swift and unhindered prosecution of those involved in crimes against humanity.”
Protests demanding the ban of Awami League began on Thursday night. Demonstrators initially staged a sit-in in front of the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna, from Thursday night through Friday afternoon. From Friday evening, protesters moved to Shahbagh intersection and blocked the area.
Following a meeting of the advisory council on Saturday night, law adviser professor Asif Nazrul informed journalists that the interim government had decided to prohibit all activities of the Awami League, including its presence in cyberspace, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The move aims to safeguard national security and sovereignty, ensure the safety of July Movement activists, and protect complainants and witnesses involved in the International Crimes Tribunal, till completion of the trial of Awami League and its leaders.
Mirza Fakhrul noted that his party welcomes the move and views the decision to amend relevant laws and prosecute the fascist party as appropriate. However, he added that had the government acted earlier in line with BNP's repeated demands, it could have avoided the uncomfortable and reactionary position it is now in.
The BNP secretary general in his statement said that during meetings with the chief adviser on 10 February and 16 April, BNP had submitted written demands calling for the Awami League to be brought under judicial proceedings as a political party accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. The party had also called for swift justice against the fascist regime and its collaborators to cleanse the political landscape.
“We clearly articulated in our discussions that the fascist Awami League must be legally banned. We have reiterated these demands repeatedly in public rallies and discussions,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
The BNP also clarified its stance against banning political parties through administrative orders. In its statement, it referred to its past opposition to the then-government’s last-minute decision to ban Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, prior to the fall of the former fascist regime.
Reiterating the demand for holding the next general election, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said BNP secretary general has said that the people have endured enforced disappearances, killings, imprisonment, and repression for over 16 years in their continued struggle to bring down fascism and restore their right to vote and democracy. These demands still remain unfulfilled.
He urged the interim government to be careful of the growing public frustration caused by the absence of a clear and specific roadmap for the upcoming elections.