Dhaka, Nov 9 (PTI) Bangladesh’s interim government termed the Awami League “fascist” and said on Saturday it will not allow ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party to hold Sunday’s planned rally.
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam said in a Facebook post that the interim government will not tolerate any violence or any attempt to violate law and order in the country.
“The Awami League in its current form is a fascist party. It is impossible that this fascist party should be allowed to hold protests in Bangladesh,” he said.
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Alam further warned that “anyone who would attempt to hold rallies, rallies and processions by following orders from mass murderer and dictator Sheikh Hasina will face the full force of law enforcement agencies.”
Alam’s statement followed an appeal by the Awami League on its verified Facebook page, urging supporters to gather at Shaheed Noor Hossain Chattar, aka Zero Point, in Gulistan on Sunday to protest what they described as ‘misrule’ . “Our protest is against the deprivation of the rights of the people of the country; our protest is against the rise of fundamentalist forces; our protest is against the conspiracy to disrupt the lives of the common people,” the Facebook post said.
This was the Awami League’s first call for a meeting since August 5, when Hasina fled to India amid a massive student-led uprising against her government.
The Awami League also urged party members to organize rallies at the grassroots level across the country on Sunday, in line with “the spirit of the call” as outlined in the Facebook post.
The protest site, Shaheed Noor Hossain Chattar, has historical significance as it was the site where Awami League youth leader Noor Hossain was assassinated on November 10, 1987 during a demonstration against the autocratic rule of then military dictator General HM Ershad.
The interim government previously banned the Awami League’s student front Bangladesh Chhatra League over accusations of its “fascist role” during and before the July-August anti-discrimination student movement.
Initially launched as a campaign for labor quota reforms, the student-led movement grew into a mass protest that eventually led to the fall of the Hasina government.
While several political factions have called for the banning of the Awami League, Yunus said such a decision is up to the political parties. Some interim government ministers also oppose the ban and emphasize political inclusiveness. The Awami League’s main rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleeda Zia, was also against banning any political party. PTI AR SCY SCY
This report is automatically generated by PTI news service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.
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