The National Citizen Party on Saturday urged the government to bring the Awami League as a party to book for its involvement in mass killings across the country during the July-August mass movement.
Addressing a rally organised by the party in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in the capital, the party leaders called for imposing a ban on the Awami League鈥檚 political and organisational activities in the country.
The Awami League was ousted from power on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising, and AL president and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on the day.
The Awami League should not be allowed to participate in any elections under the pretext of inclusivity until the completion of the trials in the cases of enforced disappearances, the Pilkhana tragedy, killings during the anti-India movement and the July-August mass killings, the leaders of the NPC told the rally at Shahbagh.
NCP member secretary Akhter Hossain affirmed his party鈥檚 commitment to preventing the Awami League from engaging in politics and vowed that they would resist the Awami League in honour of those who sacrificed their lives in the July uprising.
Akhtar said that the Awami League did not step down through a peaceful process. 鈥楾hey (Awami League) were ousted (from power) through聽 the bloodshed of thousands of students and people.鈥�
He said that the students and mass people would not allow the Awami League to be rehabilitated.
NCP chief organizer Hasnat Abdullah said that they did not seek a ban on the Awami League through an executive order but through trial for its involvement in enforced disappearances and murders.
He criticised those who sought to bring the Awami League into the elections under the pretext of the inclusive election.
鈥榃here was your inclusive election when the midnight election was held in 2018? Where was the inclusive election when the dummy election was held in 2024?鈥� he wanted to know.
Urging the military forces not to interfere in political affairs, Hasnat said that their stance was not against the army but against those who sought to misuse it.
The central leaders of the NCP and the leaders and activists of its Dhaka city unit participated in the protest rally.
A protest procession was followed.
