Awami League 'buried in Delhi', has no future in Bangladesh: Salahuddin

Highlights

• Salahuddin says the Awami League will be brought to trial as a political party
• Urges political parties not to exploit the spirit of the July Revolution for political gain
• Says five genocide and crimes against humanity cases have been decided, while 27 are under trial

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today (4 July) claimed that the Awami League had suffered a complete political collapse, saying the party had been "destroyed and eliminated" and was now "buried in Delhi."

He said the party would never again be able to participate in Bangladesh's political process.

Salahuddin made the remarks while addressing a discussion marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center.

The programme was organised jointly by the July 24 Martyrs' Family Society and the We Are July Fighters Central Executive Committee. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended as the chief guest.

Referring to the July violence, the home minister claimed that while a UN report mentioned 14,000 cases, official records, newspaper reports, and surveys documented only 700 to 800.

He alleged that hospitals had failed to preserve records of many victims and that some had been buried as unidentified bodies, making it impossible to return their remains to relatives.

"After such a brutal murder, after the genocide, there is still no apology from the mass murderer, Sheikh Hasina. They are labelling the July fighters as criminals; they are labelling this mass uprising in Bangladesh as militant. In Bangladesh, the state power has been seized through militancy. There is nothing more shameful than this.

"There is no apology within the Awami League. They do not have the condition to admit guilt; they do not have that history either. On the contrary, they are sitting abroad and now conspiring against the democratic government in Bangladesh in various ways," the home minister said.

"The Awami League has fallen politically; it has been politically destroyed and eliminated. It has been buried in Delhi. That Awami League will never be able to do politics in Bangladesh again," he added.

'Awami League must face trial'

The home minister said, "We have demanded the trial of the Awami League as a political party; you have demanded it. The investigation is being conducted. Very soon, that political party will be taken to trial as a political party.

"The law has been amended according to Article 47 of the Constitution. It is included in the Anti-Terrorism Act and the ICT Act that political parties can be tried. So, wait," he added.

Salahuddin said that those who are taking political advantage of the spirit of the July Revolution and "selling it" will face consequences in the future.

"I ask those organising this event today that none of us should profit from the spirit of this July. Those who organise political groups in various ways to exploit the spirit of the July Revolution for political gain will face consequences in the future. But history is like that," he mentioned.

Referring to the consequences, Salahuddin said, "Those who used to sell the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War are sitting in Delhi today selling their spirit. The people of Bangladesh overthrew them. Therefore, selling the spirit for political advantage is not good.

"We will preserve the history of the great July 24 mass uprising; we will preserve the memory," he added.

The home minister further said, "I would like to reveal some behind-the-scenes stories today. Both my leader, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and I were exiled. By the grace of Allah, if we had not been exiled, successfully completing an uprising like this in July would not have been possible."

Status of the July genocide trial

The home minister also said that five genocide and crimes against humanity cases had already been decided, while 27 were under trial and another 72 were in the final stages of investigation.

"The latest verdict in the trial of a tyrant named Hasanul Haque Inu has been issued. I have heard that the plaintiff is not satisfied with the 10-year sentence and will appeal. We can hope that in those cases, justice will be delivered so that he receives the maximum sentence," he added.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, State Minister Ishraque Hossain, Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Atiqur Rahman Rumon, among others, were present.