No compromise on question of Awami League: Hasnat

Dhaka, 22 Mar --Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser of the southern region of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has said that there will be no compromise with the Awami League in Bangladesh.

The NCP leader at a protest rally organised by its Dhaka Metropolitan unit in front of Shahbagh Museum on Saturday demanded the trial and cancellation of the Awami League's registration as a political party.

He said that the blood of 2,000 martyrs has not yet dried and pointed out that key cases, such as the Pilkhana murder case and the anti-India aggression case, remain untried.

He declared that no inclusive election would take place with the Awami League under these circumstances.

"In a Bangladesh where the trial of Abrar's murder and the July genocide have not been carried out, and where disappearances, murders, and killings continue without justice, there will be no compromise with the Awami League," he added.

Criticising the elections in 2014 and 2018, Hasnat said when the dummy elections were held in 2014, excluding the BNP from the power structure, where was your inclusive election? And when the midnight elections were held in 2018, where was your inclusive election?"

Addressing the Bangladesh Army, he said, "I want to make it clear that those of you whose work is in the cantonment, stay in the cantonment. We respect and honour you. We have not denied the contribution you have made in protecting the sovereignty of the country."

He went on saying “but despite all the injustices, disappearances, and murders, we have not seen you protest against any injustice. We have not seen anyone resign voluntarily. We appeal to you, stay far away.”

"We have waited until 2024. We want to restore the democratic environment that you have destroyed through reforms. We will not allow Indian hegemony to enter Bangladesh again," the NCP leader added.

Meanwhile, "July Warriors", a forum formed by the families of the martyrs and injured victims of the July uprising, on Saturday gave the interim government 48 hours to ban Awami League.

They issued the ultimatum from a protest rally held at the Raju inder on the Dhaka University campus.

Several organisations and students from Dhaka University also staged a rally on Saturday, demanding a ban on the Awami League.