Students, guardians and different political groups staged separate protest in Dhaka on Saturday demanding ban on ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’sAwami League, cancellation of its registration and trial of the party for remaining behind a massacre in July 2024.
July Warriors, a forum formed by the families of the martyrs and injured victims of the July uprising, a protest rally held at the RajuSharokBhaskarjya on the Dhaka University campus gave the interim government 48 hours to ban AL.
They warned of a blockade in Dhaka if the Awami League is not banned within the given time.
Within 48 hours, they said, the office of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus must make an announcement or decision on banning the Awami League for its fascist activities.
If no commitment is made within this timeframe, they will continue a sit-in programme at the Central ShaheedMinar until the Awami League is banned.
The protesters warned that if anyone tries to rehabilitate the Awami League, their position will not remain safe.
Sujon, one of the injured victims of the July uprising, said, “Hasina’s party has left so many mothers and sisters in mourning over the last 17 years. Through the media, we are announcing that if the Awami League is not banned, we will call for another movement like in 2024. We are not afraid of death. As long as we live, we will not let killer Hasina’sAwami League return.”
Issuing a warning to the current government not to engage in any new conspiracies Ashraful said, “We will resist all conspiracies. Thousands of injured people are still suffering in hospitals.
Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser of the southern region of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has said that there will be no compromise with the Awami League in Bangladesh.
The NCP leader at a protest rally organised by its Dhaka Metropolitan unit in front of Shahbagh Museum on Saturday demanded the trial and cancellation of the Awami League’s registration as a political party.
He said that the blood of 2,000 martyrs has not yet dried and pointed out that key cases, such as the Pilkhana murder case and the anti-India aggression case, remain untried.
He declared that no inclusive election would take place with the Awami League under these circumstances.
“In a Bangladesh where the trial of Abrar’s murder and the July genocide have not been carried out, and where disappearances, murders, and killings continue without justice, there will be no compromise with the Awami League,” he added.
Criticising the elections in 2014 and 2018, Hasnat said when the dummy elections were held in 2014, excluding the BNP from the power structure, where was your inclusive election? And when the midnight elections were held in 2018, where was your inclusive election?”
Addressing the Bangladesh Army, he said, “I want to make it clear that those of you whose work is in the cantonment, stay in the cantonment. We respect and honour you. We have not denied the contribution you have made in protecting the sovereignty of the country.”
He went on saying “but despite all the injustices, disappearances, and murders, we have not seen you protest against any injustice. We have not seen anyone resign voluntarily. We appeal to you, stay far away.”
“We have waited until 2024. We want to restore the democratic environment that you have destroyed through reforms. We will not allow Indian hegemony to enter Bangladesh again,” the NCP leader added.
Several organisations and students from Dhaka University also staged a rally on Saturday, demanding a ban on the AL.
The rally began at 3 pm at Shahbagh intersection, where participants chanted slogans like “One word, one demand, League not come back.”
Shakil Mia, an organiser of the July Movement students participating in the rally, said, “All those associated with the Awami League are involved in some form of crime. Therefore, we want the registration of the Awami League to be cancelled.”
He also said that the Awami League should not be allowed to participate in the next election.
“Considering the wrongdoings the Awami League has committed over the past 16 years, no good worker of the party can be found,” he added.
Another participant added, “We demand the cancellation of the Awami League’s registration, and its activities should be banned. All leaders and workers involved in misdeeds should be brought to justice.”
The speakers also demanded trial for those involved in looting, disappearances, and killings during the Awami League’s rule.
