Former prime minister Khaleda Zia‘s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has stated it has no objection to the return of rival Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to politics, provided it is under a clean leadership. This statement comes a day after the country’s interim government announced that it had no plans to ban the party.
BNP spokesperson Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that Awami League’s political comeback should be contingent on its leadership being free from criminal charges.
“There should be no restriction on Awami League’s return to politics if it selects a leader who is not guilty of any crime, has not killed students, and has not misappropriated or laundered money abroad,” Rizvi said, according to news agency PTI.
He further added, “We have nothing to say if the people accept Awami League after a swift trial of those responsible for crimes committed under their regime.” However, he warned against the return of authoritarian rule, emphasizing that democracy should determine the party’s future.
Rizvi’s remarks came after interim government chief Muhammad Yunus assured a delegation from the International Crisis Group that his administration “has no plans to ban the Awami League.” However, he clarified that individuals within the party accused of serious crimes—including murder and crimes against humanity—would face prosecution in Bangladesh’s courts.
Yunus also indicated that Awami League leaders could be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a UN fact-finding mission that uncovered potential crimes during the July-August 2024 protests, which led to Hasina’s ouster. “It is very much on the table,” he said.
Hasina has been in India since August 5, 2024, after fleeing Bangladesh amid mass student-led protests that brought an end to her nearly 16-year rule. The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants against Hasina and several of her former ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for “crimes against humanity and genocide.”
The debate over Awami League’s future intensified on Friday as two student groups from Dhaka University—the Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Council (BDSC) and Inquilab Mancha—held separate protests demanding the party be barred from contesting elections.
The BNP, however, has consistently opposed banning political parties. Following Hasina’s removal, the Students Against Discrimination (SAD)—which spearheaded the protests—also pushed for Awami League’s exclusion from politics. Some SAD leaders later formed a political party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), which is advocating for the establishment of a ‘Second Republic’ and the abolition of Bangladesh’s 1972 constitution.
One of NCP’s key leaders, Hasnat Abdullah, claimed in a Facebook post that there was a “conspiracy to rehabilitate Awami League” under a refined version, allegedly backed by India. He alleged that on March 11, he and two other NCP members were approached by military officials with a proposal to accept the “Refined Awami League” in exchange for a seat-sharing arrangement.
“We were told that multiple political parties had already agreed to the proposal on certain conditions,” Abdullah claimed. “According to them, having several opposition parties, including a weak Awami League, is preferable to having a single strong opposition.”
He said the NCP outright rejected the proposal, arguing that Awami League should face prosecution instead of rehabilitation. However, those who made the offer allegedly warned that SAD and NCP would have to bear responsibility for any political crisis resulting from their refusal.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), a former ally of BNP, has also backed NCP’s stance on Awami League. JeI chief Shafiqur Rahman asserted, “People will not accept the rehabilitation of Awami League.”
As political tensions rise, calls for accountability and justice remain at the forefront of Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape.
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