Press secretary warns of crackdown on banned Awami League’s street protests

He asks the party to not “test the patience” of July activists

Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, has warned of a strict crackdown on any attempts by the banned Awami League to stage programmes on the streets of Dhaka.

In a post in English on his verified Facebook account on Monday, Shafiqul cautioned the party’s supporters against “testing the patience” of July activists.

“The BAL, its enablers and their mass-murderer leader seem to think this is 28 Oct, 2006 all over again,” he wrote.

“They imagine sending a mob of tens of thousands of thugs into central Dhaka to seize the streets after slaughtering a dozen people in broad daylight. Sorry — this is a New Bangladesh.”

He added, “Any attempt by banned political or terrorist outfits to hold protests will be met with the full force of the law. Don’t test the patience of the July revolutionaries. And remember: it is not 28 October, 2006. It is July — forever.”