AL won’t be allowed under any name: Zahed

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday that the Awami League (AL) would not be allowed to hold political programmes under any name as long as the ban on its activities remains in force, dismissing speculation about the formation of a “refined” version of the party.

Speaking at a press briefing on the government’s recent activities held at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room at the Secretariat, he said the restriction would apply regardless of the name under which the party sought to operate.

“Whether it is a refined Awami League, a new Awami League or a grassroots Awami League, it cannot hold any political programme under any name while the ban on its activities remains in force,” he said in response to a question.

Referring to discussions on social media about a possible “refined Awami League” led by veteran party leaders, Zahed said there was no distinction between a “soft” or “hard” version of the party.

He also said no political party, including the BNP, Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami or the National Citizen Party (NCP), would officially participate in the upcoming local government elections, noting that the polls would be held on a non-party basis.

The adviser said the government had turned the anti-terrorism ordinance banning the Awami League’s activities into law.

“The government’s position is clear. Until the court decides whether the Awami League should remain banned, the government believes its political activities should remain prohibited,” he said.

Responding to another question, Zahed said the process of forming the Information Commission was in its final stage and it would be constituted soon.

“We will have the Information Commission very soon,” he said, adding that he was personally involved in parts of the process.

He also said the government remained committed to establishing a Media Commission.

According to the adviser, the government would hold fresh consultations with stakeholders before finalising the commission by reviewing the recommendations of the previous media reform commission and incorporating any necessary additions.

On the proposed Teesta Master Plan, Zahed said the government was redesigning the project to place equal emphasis on floodwater conservation, irrigation expansion and riverbank protection alongside river management.

He said the revised plan also included the construction of another barrage in addition to the existing Teesta Barrage.

Bangladesh, he said, had not retreated from its demand for a fair share of water from the Teesta and other common rivers with India.

“The implementation of the Teesta Master Plan has no connection with the water-sharing issue. Bangladesh will continue its efforts to secure its legitimate share of water,” he said.

Zahed said China’s earlier proposal had focused mainly on river training, while the revised project also addressed water shortages in the northern region, irrigation needs and reducing dependence on groundwater.

China would provide technical assistance for feasibility studies, although no final decision had yet been taken on financing the project, he added.

He also dismissed suggestions that implementation of the Teesta project with Chinese assistance would negatively affect Bangladesh’s relations with India, saying Bangladesh would take decisions based on its own national interests.

Asked about a recent report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), which estimated that Tk 12,633.2 crore was paid in bribes for various public services between November 2024 and October 2025, the adviser acknowledged that corruption remained widespread across different levels of public service.

He said the reported corruption did not involve advisers of the interim government, though the government did not claim that corruption had been eliminated during its tenure.

“Corruption exists at different levels of public administration. Sometimes people pay to expedite services, while in other cases they are forced to do so. We are aware of the problem and are working to reduce it gradually,” he said.

Zahed expressed optimism that the level of corruption reflected in future TIB reports would decline.

On allegations of corruption involving members of the interim government, he said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), as an independent constitutional body, should investigate all allegations on its own initiative.