People will not allow AL to return to politics: Home minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the people of Bangladesh will not allow the “autocratic, fascist and murderous” Awami League to engage in politics in the country again.

“The party that killed people, committed genocide, carried out oppression and persecution, and has still neither sought forgiveness nor expressed remorse will not be allowed to do politics in this country,” he said.

He made the remarks on Friday afternoon at the concluding session of the 104th annual two-day religious gathering at Babunagar Madrasa in Chattogram’s Fatikchhari.

The home minister said Hifazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, despite being a non-political organisation, had continued its protests in support of Islam and the country and against the fascist, anti-Islamic and illegal government before the post-fascist election and during the movement.

He said Hifazat-e-Islam Ameer Maulana Mohibullah Babunagari had led those protests.

“Bangladesh took 23 years to achieve independence. It took 16 to 17 years to free the people of this country from the grip of a fascist, anti-Islamic and anti-cleric government.

“So many religious scholars and students sacrificed their lives, yet many people still do not know the names of those martyrs. We do not even know where they are buried. We were freed from an anti-Islamic government through so much bloodshed,” he said.

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Salahuddin Ahmed said, according to United Nations estimates, 1,400 people were killed during the July-August mass uprising.

“Before that, during the 16 to 17 years of fascist rule, around 3,000 people were subjected to enforced disappearance. I was one of them. The Almighty had decreed that I would survive. I am alive today because of your prayers and Allah's mercy. Around 7,000 people were subjected to various forms of killings and torture,” he said.

“Hundreds of thousands of people were persecuted through attacks and politically motivated cases. Do we want those fascist forces to return? Then who is creating the conditions for their return?” he asked.

He alleged that the forces behind the recent attempts to create unrest in the garment sector were linked to the former fascist regime.

The minister also accused some groups of exploiting the name of Islam for political purposes, saying their election manifestos contained no meaningful commitment to Islamic principles.

“Some declare themselves Islamic parties, but the term ‘Aqimuddin’ has been removed from their party manifestos. They say one thing in public but fail to show evidence of it in their documents,” he said.