Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday saod the Awami League had been "politically destroyed" and was now "buried in Delhi," asserting that the party would never again be able to participate in Bangladesh's politics.
He also said the party would soon face trial as a political organization, citing recent legal amendments allowing the prosecution of political parties.
The remarks came at a discussion marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution during the July National Conference-2026, held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center. The event was jointly organized by the July '24 Martyrs' Families Society and the central executive committee of Amra July Joddha (We Are July Fighters). Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the program as the chief guest.
Referring to the findings of a UN report, Salahuddin questioned discrepancies between the reported number of victims and officially documented cases.
"The UN report says 14,000 cases, but officially, in various newspapers and surveys, only 700 to 800 accounts are available. Where did the rest go? Because the hospitals could not preserve the records of the martyrs, even their documents have disappeared. They were buried as unclaimed bodies. Today, we cannot return them to their relatives after searching for their graves," he said.
Referring to the July killings, the home minister criticized ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina for not apologizing.
"After such a brutal murder, after the genocide, there is still no apology from the mass murderer Sheikh Hasina. They are labeling the July fighters as criminals; they are labeling this mass uprising in Bangladesh as militant. In Bangladesh, their state power has been seized through militancy. There is nothing more shameful than this," he said.
Claiming the Awami League had shown no remorse, Salahuddin alleged that its leaders were conspiring against the government from abroad.
"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," he 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."
AL must face trial
Salahuddin said there had been widespread demands for the Awami League to be tried as a political party, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
"Very soon, it will be taken to trial as a political party," he said.
"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 also warned against exploiting the legacy of the July Revolution for political gain.
"I ask those organizing this event today that none of us should profit from the spirit of this July."
"Those who organize 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."
Drawing a comparison with the Awami League, he added: "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 said.
Salahuddin also spoke about his and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's years in exile.
"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 July would not have been possible," he said.
July trial progress
The home minister said five cases involving allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity had already been disposed of.
"Five genocide and crimes against humanity cases have already been decided. There are 27 cases under trial, and 72 cases are almost at the final stage of investigation," he said.
Referring to the latest verdict against Hasanul Haque Inu, Salahuddin said: "I have heard that the plaintiff is not satisfied with only giving him a 10-year sentence, so it will be appealed."
"We can hope that in those cases, justice will be delivered so that he receives the maximum sentence."
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni chaired the event.
Among others, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, State Minister Ishraq Hossain,
Family members of those killed during the July Revolution also spoke, including Abu Hossain, brother of Abu Sayed; Abul Hossain, father of Shahriar Hossain Alvi; Fatematuzzohra, mother of Abdullah bin Zahid; Shafiul Alam, father of Wasim Akram; and Abdur Rab Mia, father of Miraj Hossain of Jatrabari.