Awami League Buried, will soon be tried as a political party: Home Minister
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that the Awami League has suffered a complete political downfall and will never be able to engage in politics in Bangladesh again. He also said the party would soon face trial as a political organization.
Speaking at the July National Conference held at the China Friendship International Conference Center in the capital on Saturday (July 4), the minister made the remarks.
He said, "No one should exploit the spirit of July for personal or political gain. Those who are trying to capitalize on the spirit of July by forming political organizations and using it for political advantage will eventually face the consequences. Those who once traded on the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War ultimately ended up in Delhi."
The Home Minister said Bangladesh had been stained with the blood of its martyrs and that victory was achieved on August 5 through their sacrifice. He claimed that, if the victims were categorized by political affiliation, the largest number of martyrs belonged to the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, and other affiliated organizations of the BNP.
He noted that while a United Nations report mentioned 1,400 deaths, various media reports and surveys estimated the number to be between 700 and 800. He also claimed that the identities of many martyrs could not be officially documented.
According to the minister, hospital records relating to many of the victims had disappeared, while numerous bodies had been buried as unclaimed remains. He said many families still do not know where their loved ones are buried.
He further alleged that despite what he described as a massacre on such a large scale, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had shown no remorse. Instead, he claimed, her supporters were portraying those involved in the July movement as criminals and attempting to present Bangladesh as a state that sponsors terrorism, calling it "a matter of great shame."
Referring to the Awami League's political future, Salahuddin Ahmed said, "The Awami League has suffered political collapse. It has been politically defeated and eliminated. It has been buried in Delhi. The Awami League will never again be able to engage in politics in Bangladesh."
He added, "We have demanded that the Awami League be tried as a political party, and so have the people. The investigation is progressing. God willing, the Awami League will very soon be brought to trial as a political organization."
The Home Minister said amendments to the Constitution and relevant laws had created a legal framework for trying political parties and organizations. He stated that both the Anti-Terrorism Act and the legal framework governing the International Crimes Tribunal now contain provisions allowing political parties to be prosecuted. He urged everyone to remain patient.
Highlighting the progress of the judicial process, he said verdicts had already been delivered in five cases involving murder, genocide, and crimes against humanity linked to the July movement. Another 27 cases are currently under trial, while investigations into 72 additional cases are in their final stages.
He said that two individuals had been sentenced to death in the murder case of martyr Abu Sayeed. He also noted that several others, including the then vice-chancellor of the university, had received prison sentences of varying lengths. He further stated that death sentences had been handed down against Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in a genocide case. He also referred to verdicts in cases involving the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), the burning of bodies in Ashulia, the Chankharpul killings, and a murder case in Rampura.
Emphasizing the government's responsibility toward the families of the martyrs, the Home Minister said the government was continuing to advance the judicial process and remained committed to ensuring justice for all those killed.