Protests erupt for AL ban
The National Citizens’ Party on Friday alleged that the army was intervening in politics when it referred to a recent meeting held between the party and high ranking army officials to discuss some political issues.
When asked at a press briefing whether there was any influence or intervention of the army in politics, NCP chief organiser for South Hasnat Abdullah answered, ‘We wonder about it…since we had a discussion with high ranking army officials. We see it as intervention in politics. Politics will be decided by the politicians.’
He also said that the political issues came up when they went to a meeting with army officials to discuss the law and order situation and to ‘get the answers to some questions they had’ as the army, vested with magistracy power, was engaged in controlling the law and order.
‘I went there as the army has been vested with the magistracy power to maintain law and order,’ Hasnat said, not disclosing the names either of his fellows that took part in the meeting or the army officers attending it.
In the early hours of Friday, Hasnat Abdullah in a Facebook post alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to bring a ‘refined Awami League’ behind which India was playing the main role.
The post mentioned that former Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, former environment minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury and former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh would be the face of Awami League in its repatriation.
He said that the proposal was given to him and two others.Ìý
When contacted, the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate declined to comment on the matter.Ìý
When Saber Hossain Chowdhury asked about his involvement in the process he was now not involved in politics and also requested the reporter not even mention anywhere that he was approached for comments.
Hasnat also shared a video message of local government and co-operatives adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan in which he said that army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, after a long tussle, accepted the proposal of making Professor Muhamamd Yunus the chief adviser of the interim government.
‘I accepted the decision with a stone heavy on my heart,’ said Asif in the message, quoting the army chief regarding the formation of the interim government following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising.
Asif further said that the army chief pointed out Yunus as a convict and Awami League did not like him and the party represented 30–40 per cent people’s support.
The Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad brings out a procession, demanding ban of the Awami League, on the Dhaka University campus on Friday. Ìý— ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· photo
Students of different public universities, meanwhile on Friday, took to the streets demanding a ban on Awami League, while newly formed political party National Citizens’ Party announced continued movement, pressing the same demand across the country.
The demand for banning AL erupted again after chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at a meeting said ‘the government has no plan to ban AL’ and Hasnat Abdullah’s Facebook post claiming that a conspiracy was going on for AL’s return.Ìý
NCP convener Nahid Islam condemned the interim government’s remarks for not having any plan to ban AL.
Addressing a press conference at the NCP office in the capital’s Banglamotor area, the party’s member secretary Akhtar Hossain said that demonstration demanding the trial of Awami League for mass killing and cancelling the party’s registration would continue across the country.
‘We urge the country’s all students, people and well-wishers along with the members of the NCP to take part in the movement,’ said Akthar.
Students of different educational institutions on the day also staged demonstrations in Dhaka city and as elsewhere across the country demanding ban on AL.
They also demanded trial and punishment for the AL leaders and activists for the July massacre.
Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, a newly formed student organisation by a group of leaders of the Student Against Discrimination that led the July-August mass uprising, held a rally in front of Dhaka University central library demanding ban on AL.
Inqilab Mancha brought out a procession after Jumma prayers from the DU central mosque and held rally at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus with the same demands.
A group of students under the banner of ‘general students of DU’ held a separate rally at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture at about 3:00pm demanding ban on AL.
They also announced a Mancha named ‘Ganahatyakari Awami League Nirshiddhokoron Mancha’ at the time.
In the early hours of Friday, a group of DU students came out from their halls and staged a protest march on the campus demanding a ban on AL, reported ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in DU.
The march began at around 2:00am from the university’s hall areas and concluded with a brief rally in front of the Raju memorial sculpture.
From the brief rally, DU student Musaddiq Ali Ibne Mohammad vowed, ‘As long as there is a drop of blood in our body, we will not let Awami League continue politics.’
The students of Jahangirnagar University also staged a protest on Friday afternoon, rejecting the chief adviser’s statement on AL’s return, ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent at JU reported.
At the rally, marketing student Arifuzzaman Uzzal accused the interim government of failing to uphold the spirit of July revolution and called for AL to be declared a genocidal party.
He warned the chief of army staff General Waqar-Uz-Zaman against restoring AL, stating, ‘We dismantled Hasina’s rule in 36 days—don’t try to bring them back.’
Members of the National Citizens’ Party and Shibir leaders were also present at the rally.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that students of Rajshahi University also brought out a protest procession in front of the university central mosque and in the city, demanding a ban on AL.
The students of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur formed human chain on Friday afternoon in front of their campus in the city while Chattogram unit of Students Against Discrimination brought out a procession from the city’s Jamiatul Falah Mosque to Kazir Dewri intersection pressing the same demand.
Earlier on Thursday, during a discussion at the state guesthouse Jamuna with a delegation led by International Crisis Group president and CEO, Comfort Ero, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus stated that the interim government had no plan to ban Awami League.