Awami League Must Apologize Before Holding Protests: Govt

The government will not permit the Awami League to hold any protests unless the party publicly apologizes for its alleged role in mass killings, corruption, and for embracing a fascist ideology, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam stated on Wednesday. He made the remarks on his Facebook page, following reports that the Awami League was planning protests in February.

Alam asserted that the Awami League must disassociate itself from its current leadership and ideological stance before being allowed to engage in public demonstrations. “We will not allow the fascist Awami League to hold protests. Video footage from July and August shows party activists were directly involved in the killings of peaceful protesters, including young students and children,” Alam wrote, referring to the violent events during the July mass uprising.

The press secretary further emphasized that the interim government, since assuming power in early August, has not restricted lawful protests. “The interim government believes in the right to freedom of assembly and association. In the last five and a half months alone, 136 protests took place in Dhaka without any government intervention,” Alam noted, acknowledging the occasional disruption caused by these protests, including traffic congestion.

“The interim government represents the will of the Bangladeshi people. We will not allow any attempts to provoke violence or destabilize the country,” he continued. “Anyone attempting to hold illegal protests under the Awami League banner will face the full force of the law.”

Alam also referred to a recent report from Human Rights Watch, which accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of directly ordering killings and enforced disappearances during her 16-year rule. “She has led a kleptocratic, murderous regime. Under her leadership, her cronies siphoned off $234 billion, according to an independent panel. Now, her family is under investigation for making billions from corrupt deals,” Alam added.

He also highlighted the suffering caused by the regime, citing that at least 3,500 people were victims of enforced disappearances, 3,000 were subjected to extrajudicial killings, and protesters were killed during the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident. “The police were reduced to a ‘Police League’ for the ruling party, and nearly six million opposition activists faced false charges. Even the country’s first Hindu Chief Justice was violently forced to resign and sent into exile,” Alam concluded.