Awami League slams army action on civilians in Gopalganj
DHAKA, July 16: As Bangladesh’s general elections approach, major political parties are engaged in a heated exchange regarding the need for reforms prior to the polls. The leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed National Citizens’ Party (NCP) have been engaging in verbal attacks on each other. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that the recent murder of a 43-year-old scrap trader Lal Chand Sohag is a deliberate attempt to “create unrest” in the country and pursue evil political agendas following allegations of involvement of its party leaders and workers in the gruesome act.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Central Executive Committee member Mohammad Selim Uddin slammed the BNP without directly naming the party during a rally in Mirpur, Dhaka. He said that the public had already shown a ‘yellow card’ to a certain political group, but now, following the incident at Mitford, the public has effectively shown them the’red card’. The NCP renewed its call for reforms and national reconstruction, but the BNP has constantly rejected the demand.
The NCP raised the demand for electoral reforms and national reconstruction at a rally on Tuesday night. NCP’s Chief Organiser (South) Hasanat Abdullah criticised the political parties of the country for showing selective outrage and accused the Election Commission (EC) of double standards, pointing to its position on inclusive elections. He also criticized the rejection of the Shapla symbol (water lily) to the NCP following objections from an EC member and further raised doubts on the effectiveness of the online nomination process.
The BNP has firmly rejected the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s justification of “justice and reforms before elections,” asserting that it would no longer accept delays in the name of restructuring. BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan stated that the only acceptable priority now is to ensure the people’s right to vote through a free and fair election.
The parties that collaborated with the student leaders and Yunus to overthrow the democratically elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are now lashing out at each other in public rallies and on social media platforms. The much flaunted unity, which was on full display during the ousting of Hasina, seems to be fading gradually.
Awami League slams army action on civilians in Gopalganj
The Awami League party in Bangladesh has condemned the military’s brutal crackdown on citizens in Gopalganj district, claiming it has forsaken its neutrality. The party claims that the military has been torturing and dragging down civilians, instilling fear across the nation, and attempting to wipe out symbols associated with the founding father of the country, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from his birthplace. The Awami League also criticizes the continuous patronage by the armed forces against the crime wave perpetrated by the Yunus-sponsored mob backed by Islamists.
In February, protesters vandalized and set on fire Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhaka during a live online address of his daughter and former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. The angry mob vandalized the memorial and residence of Hasina’s father, demanding a ban on the party he founded, the Awami League. The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has renamed roads, buildings, and structures named after Rahman, his family members, and Awami League leaders.
About 1500 sculptures, murals, and memorials have been vandalized, set on fire, and uprooted throughout the country since the Yunus government came to power in August 2024. Additionally, several Awami League leaders have been brutally attacked and killed after the ouster of Hasina. (IANS)