BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has strongly condemned the decision by the Awami League government to ban Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. In a press release issued on Thursday, Mirza Fakhrul expressed his disapproval of the ban, highlighting several key points of contention.
Mirza Fakhrul criticized the government, labeling it as fascist, and accused it of violently suppressing a legitimate student movement. He claimed that the government orchestrated a massacre to divert attention from its own responsibilities and then blamed the opposition for the resulting chaos. According to him, the police and ruling party affiliates ruthlessly attacked students and civilians, including using aerial assaults from helicopters, which he stated is unprecedented in the history of the subcontinent.
He further argued that the government is attempting to deflect blame for the violence onto a so-called ‘third force’, including the BNP and other opposition parties. He called this a deliberate tactic to escape accountability and criticized the mass arrests and reported tortures of opposition leaders and activists.
Mirza Fakhrul also noted the widespread international and domestic condemnation of the government’s actions, including from the United Nations and various human rights organizations. He suggested that the government’s decision to ban Jamaat-e-Islami is a ploy to shift focus away from its own failings and the demands for its resignation.
He condemned the decision as undemocratic and unconstitutional, emphasizing that banning a political party without credible evidence is an injustice. He highlighted the history of the Awami League in politically eliminating opponents and creating a one-party state in the past, referencing the post-independence era when political plurality was stifled.
Finally, Mirza Fakhrul called on all democracy-loving citizens and political parties to intensify their efforts to oust what he termed a ‘state- and life-threatening’ government. He asserted that the BNP believes in open political competition and does not support banning political parties, reaffirming their commitment to multi-party democracy.
