Home
+
Published : 29 Jan 2025, 08:19 PM
The Awami League will not be allowed to hold protests in Bangladesh until the party apologise and face trial for the killings during the student-led mass uprising, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam says.
In response to a question from journalists, he said: “One of the worst massacres in Bangladesh’s history took place. Right before our eyes, young boys and girls were killed. Hundreds have been blinded. Many are permanently disabled.
“But they [Awami League] claim 3,000 police officers were killed. What a fabrication, what a lie.”
“They won’t be allowed to protest until they apologise, until their leadership is put on trial, until they submit to justice and are held accountable. They must first face trial,” he added.
Shafiqul was speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon.
A journalist asked about the interim government’s stance regarding Awami League’s recently announced programmes, including a hartal call on its official Facebook page.
The press secretary said, “The government’s position is very clear. Awami League’s top leadership is involved in the July killings. Page 17 of the Human Rights Watch [HRW] report says Sheikh Hasina directly ordered enforced disappearance and killings.
“HRW spoke with officers, and they confirmed this to the organisation.”
Hasina has been living in India since Aug 5, 2024, when she fled there after resigning as prime minister.
The International Crimes Tribunal has issued an arrest warrant for her on charges of "genocide" committed to curbing the July-August protests.
The Bangladesh government has already sent a formal request to India seeking her extradition.
More than 50 complaints have been filed against Hasina and her government’s ministers, MPs and senior Awami League leaders so far.
At least two of the charges are enforced disappearances.
The commission formed by the interim government handed over its report on Dec 15, claiming that it had found evidence of Hasina’s involvement in ordering incidents of enforced disappearances during her 15-year regime.
The Chief Advisor’s Office also cited the latest HRW report, which claims the former prime minister "directly ordered the enforced disappearances and killings”.
On Tuesday, a delegation from HRW met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and handed over their findings, according to a statement from his office.
According to the HRW report, "Officers involved in enforced disappearances told the agency that Sheikh and senior officers of her government had knowledge of incommunicado detentions, and that, in some cases, Hasina directly ordered enforced disappearances and killings."
