NCP to proceed with demand to revoke Awami League's registration

The National Citizen Party (NCP) wants the Awami League to be banned through a judicial process instead of executive order on charges of genocide during the July uprising.

Before that, the party wants the cancellation of the Awami League’s registration. The party will be holding programmes with this demand.

The NCP also wants a ban on political activities of Awami League until the judicial process is finished.  They will take a strong stand against any attempt to rehabilitate the Awami League.

At the same time the NCP leaders will be cautious in their statements regarding the Bangladesh Army and army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman. 

The party does not support the negative campaigns being run against the army chief. However, the party will be against any attempt of depoliticisation and political militarisation.

Three top level NCP leaders have clarified this political stance of their party to this correspondent.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, senior joint convener of the party Samanta Sharmin told Prothom Alo, “NCP is focusing on the demand to cancel Awami League’s registration at the moment. However, we will have to move towards banning the Awami League by going through various steps, including the judicial process.”

The NCP, which was formed at the initiatives of the student leaders who led the July uprising, officially started its journey on 28 February. Since then, the leaders of the party have been demanding a ban on the Awami League.

However, interim government chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus said in a meeting with a delegation from the International Crisis Group on 20 March that the government have no plan to ban Awami League.

The NCP condemned the statement from the chief adviser in a press conference the next day. It has been learnt that the party has moved away from its demand to ban Awami League through an executive order. Instead they will be demanding cancellation of Awami League’s registration with the election commission (EC).

Sources in the party say the party does not want Awami League to get any chance to become active in politics ever again. They are also against giving Awami League any chance to participate in the upcoming polls.

They believe it would take time to ban Awami League through a proper judicial process. Therefore their registration has to be cancelled to close down their opportunity to participate in the next polls.

The NCP leaders feel it would be difficult for them to change the government’s stance in this regard as Dr Yunus has said that his government has no plan to ban the Awami League. However, it is possible to cancel Awami League’s registration through putting pressure on the government.

Preferring not to be named, a NCP leader told Prothom Alo that their stance on their demand to ban the Awami League through an executive order has changed a little. The main reason behind the change is the United Nations (UN) report which recommended not to ban any political party. Following that, they have brought forward the demand to revoke the AL’s registration.

The NCP leader feels the ban of Awami League through a proper judicial process will prevent any controversy or questions regarding this.

The party will remain active to prevent Awami League from being active in politics and any attempt to rehabilitate them.

Addressing an iftar event in Old Dhaka on 22 March, NCP convener Nahid Islam said they would foil any attempt to rehabilitate the Awami League.

In another event on the same day in the capital’s Shahbagh, NCP chief coordinator (South) Hasnat Abdullah said they didn’t want the Awami League to be banned under an executive order. He demanded speedy trial of the party.

Party sources say the NCP will announce more programmes demanding cancellation of Awami League’s registration.

Caution to talk about Army

On the night of 20 March, Hasnat Abdullah created a controversy with a Facebook post. He wrote that a new conspiracy was being brewed in the name of ‘Refined Awami League’. This plan has been hatched entirely by India. He mentioned that one such proposal was made to them by inviting them to the cantonment.

Various discussions were created following this statement from Hasnat. Later, the Army headquarters told Sweden-based media outlet Netra News in a statement that Hasnat’s post was “nothing but a complete political stunt”. Hasnat and Sarjis Alam (chief organiser of NCP in the northern region) had a meeting with the Army Chief on 11 March. However they were not invited, rather the meeting took place indeed at the interest of Hasnat and Sarjis.

The army headquarters dismissed the claim of “inviting them over and propose or pressurise them about rehabilitation of Awami League” adding that Hasnat’s statement was “extremely laughable and an immature array of stories”.

The next day, Sarjis wrote in a Facebook post that they were not invited to the meeting. They themselves wanted to meet. He also stated that he does not think that they were ‘pressurised’. Chief coordinator of NCP Nasiruddin Patwari labeled Hasnat’s Facebook post as discourteous.

Public statements instead of discussing it within the party created uneasiness among NCP leaders. Then the policymakers of NCP agreed on being cautious while talking about the army and the army chief.

Two NCP top leaders told Prothom Alo that they would not support the campaign that is being carried out for removing the army chief. For this could lead the country to more uncertainties. However, they said they will send a message that political decisions will indeed be taken by the political parties and not by anyone else.

During a programme at Shahbagh on 22 March, Hasnat Abdullah said, “Our stance is not against the army. Our stance is against those who want to misuse the army.”

Programmes after Eid

The NCP has plans for field-level programmes after Eid to counter the rumours of a military coup, ‘rehabilitation’ of the Awami League and the abrupt programmes from Awami League. However, what sort of programmes will be held has not been decided yet.

A leader of the party told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, “We will hold the programmes keeping in mind the demand of Awami League’s trial and revocation of their registration.”