‘People will never allow AL in politics’

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Friday said the people of Bangladesh would never again allow the Awami League to engage in politics, accusing the party of genocide and 16 years of repression.

“On one matter we all agree: those who carried out genocide, shed the blood of ulema for 16 long years and stained mosques with blood will never be allowed by the people of this country to do politics again,” he said.

He made the remarks while addressing the 104th annual religious conference of Al-Jamiatul Islamiah Azizul Uloom Babunagar Madrasa in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, before Friday prayers.

The second day of the conference was presided over by Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Ameer Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari.

Salahuddin said people were united on this issue despite their political differences. He also said those who fled the country following the mass uprising would not be allowed to return and resume politics.

He alleged that some quarters were trying to create conditions for their return, while those responsible for killings and repression had yet to express regret or remorse.

The home minister also alleged that “fascist forces” were behind attempts to create unrest in the garment sector. Urging those involved in movements to offer constructive criticism, he said, “You may choose not to cooperate with the government, but do not withhold your cooperation from the people of this country.”

Salahuddin said it had taken 16 to 17 years to free the country from what he described as an autocratic and Islam-hostile regime, during which many Islamic scholars and students had sacrificed their lives.

Citing United Nations estimates, he said around 1,400 people were killed during the July-August mass uprising, while nearly 3,000 people were subjected to enforced disappearance and torture over the preceding 16 to 17 years.

“I was also one of them,” he said. “By the grace of Almighty Allah and the prayers of the people, I am still alive.”

He further claimed that around 7,000 people had been killed or subjected to torture and persecution during that period, while millions had faced harassment through attacks and politically motivated cases.

Referring to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, he said people had suffered for years under injustice, misrule and corruption. He claimed that even someone of her stature had died without receiving proper medical treatment.

The minister said the government wanted to move the country away from the governing principles of what he called “fascist Sheikh Hasina” and restore the spirit of the Liberation War and earlier state policies.

He said the government would reinstate “firm faith and trust in Almighty Allah” in the Constitution’s preamble and fundamental principles of state policy.

“We have been freed from Islam-hating forces,” he said. “We want to restore that lost dignity.”

Salahuddin also criticised groups that, he said, used religion for political gain without following Islamic principles. He alleged that some political groups invoked Islam despite not reflecting its values in their election manifestos.

“Although they say one thing, their documents and official records tell a different story,” he said.

“We believe in Islamic values. We are the party that included ‘Bismillah’ in the Constitution. We follow the nationalist and Islamic values introduced by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman,” he said.

He added that the government wanted to ensure economic prosperity and improve the living standards of ulema and Qawmi madrasa students.

“We have built a united Bangladesh where people from all walks of life share a common national identity. We never want to see division among the people of this country,” he said.