The National Citizen Party (NCP) has condemned a statement made by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus that the government has no plans to ban the Awami League.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam made this statement at an emergency press conference on Friday night at Rupayan Tower, Banglamotor.
In a written statement, Nahid said: "Before there is visible progress in ensuring trial for the Pilkhana massacre, the Shapla massacre, killings during the anti-aggression movement, enforced disappearances, crossfires, election rigging, and the July killings committed by the Awami League, such statements from a responsible state official are unwarranted."
On Thursday, the chief adviser informed a delegation from the International Crisis Group that the interim government has no plans to ban the Awami League.
Reacting to the chief adviser’s statement, Nahid said in his speech that despite seven months passing since the uprising, no visible progress has been made in bringing Sheikh Hasina and the killers within the Awami League to justice.
He further referenced a report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which said that the crimes committed in Bangladesh in July were tantamount to international crimes.
Despite such clear international condemnation, the slow judicial process regarding Awami League’s crimes against humanity is highly condemnable, he added.
"The NCP demands immediate and visible progress in the prosecution of the July mass killings and other enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings committed under the previous fascist regime," Nahid added.
Nahid continued: "The chief adviser recently commented that the government has no plans to ban the Awami League. We strongly condemn this statement."
The statement asserted that any activity in favour of allowing Awami League to function without addressing its crimes, acknowledging guilt, or seeking repentance would amount to the rehabilitation of fascists.
The statement further demanded that the Awami League’s registration be revoked while trials for the July mass killings and other crimes against humanity from the previous fascist regime are ongoing.
The NCP convener said: "All parties concerned must remember that the Awami League is not a democratic or political party but rather a fascist organization. It was not defeated through an electoral process. Instead, the party systematically orchestrated genocidal acts in Bangladesh, which led to an unprecedented student-people uprising that ultimately ousted the Awami fascist regime from power.
"As a result, the Awami League is currently outside the democratic framework."
