Leaders and activists of the greater Tejgaon and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar zones of the National Citizen Party (NCP) staged a protest rally in Dhaka's Tejgaon on Tuesday, demanding the trial of the Awami League, a ban on its political activities, constitutional reforms, and an election to form a constituent assembly.
The NCP held a procession at the Khamarbari intersection in Tejgaon around 5pm. Central leaders of the party addressed the rally.
Speaking at the protest, NCP Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib said: “Whenever the issue of banning the Awami League arises, some members of civil society argue against it. However, the Awami League continues to push the agenda of a neighbouring state. The party was behind the 2008 Pilkhana massacre, the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings, and the killing of over 2,000 students in July 2024. The Awami League’s history is a history of killings. It must be banned.”
He added: “The chief adviser and law adviser must raise the issue of banning the Awami League in their statements. Otherwise, they must be held accountable.”
NCP Joint Member Secretary Rifat Rashid said: “The current government has failed. Instead of implementing reforms, it is granting bail to Awami League leaders and sending them to India. Their primary responsibility was to ban the Awami League, but they have failed to do so. They have even kept the president in office.”
Another Joint Member Secretary Mushfiq Us Salehin, said: “The terrorist Awami League must not be allowed to return to the country. It is not a political party but a mafia group. We must remain vigilant so they cannot return to power through another platform.”
Calling on the government, Mushfiq said: “Everyone must work together to rid the country of terrorism and mafia influence. There is still time. Wake up and ban the Awami League.”
NCP’s Joint Member Secretary Zainal Abedin Shishir said: “There is no party called the Awami League anymore. It has turned into the Modi League.”
