The interim government has decided to put restrictions on ‘fascist’ Awami League in running political activities until the completion of its trial.
“There is no scope for rehabilitation of the fascists in politics until the completion of the trial,” Adviser for Sports and Labour Affairs Asif Mahmud told reporters at a briefing at Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday.
“We have already seen some programmes to rehabilitate the defeated fascist forces in many ways,” he said.
Although he did not mention any political parties, he referred to those political parties and alliances which ‘established the fascist regime.’
The Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina has been accused of killing and other misdeeds during its 15-year tenure.
Amid a mass upsurge, Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister and fled the country on August 5.
Dozens of murder cases were filed against Sheikh Hasina and other party leaders.
In an interview with Indian news agency PTI, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus said the interim government wants to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back home from India to face trial for ‘the kind of atrocities she has committed.’
“Yes, she has to be brought back or else the people of Bangladesh won’t be at peace. The kind of atrocities she has committed, she has to be tried in front of everyone here,” he said.
Ganabhaban to be turned into memorial museum
Asif Mahmud said they leave it to the people whether the fascists will be allowed to do politics or not in the country.
The Adviser said the government has not discussed specifically yet on how it will be implemented (banning public programmes by fascists). “But we will certainly discourage it (public programmes).”
He said the law ministry has already taken initiatives so that they are tried for their ‘crimes against humanity.’
Responding to a question about whether Awami League will be banned or not, he said it will be decided by the people of the country.
The Advisory Council also decided to form a Review Commission to review short term demands of the workers of all the sectors.
It will also have representatives from the owners, Adviser Asif Mahmud told a briefing in the evening.
“This committee will not review the long term demands like wage or labour law reform as those will require much time. This committee will deal with the short term demands which can be addressed quickly,” he added.
Earlier, the Advisory Council of the interim government has decided to turn Gonobhaban, the official residence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, into a museum, keeping the memory of the student-led mass uprising that toppled the Hasina-led government on 5 August.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Advisory Council held at the Chief Adviser's Office with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in the chair.
“Visible steps will soon be taken,” Asif Mahmud said while responding to a question.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, and Apurba Jahangir were also present.
Asif Mahmud said they would look into examples in other countries to build the memorial museum and keep it open to the public.
He said they would keep it unchanged (as it stands now) and there would be a museum inside Gonobhaban.
The Adviser said Gonobhaban could not emerge as people’s building truly and the students and common people won it through uprising.
“It will be kept open for the people,” he said, adding that it will bear all the memories of martyrs of the uprising, tortures and injustice of the previous government.
The Adviser said the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will jointly implement the initiative.
Thursday marked one month since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid a student-led mass uprising and fled to India leaving the country in a leadership vacuum for a couple of days.
The country was in a state of lawlessness until Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus returned home from Paris and took oath as Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8, chosen by the student leaders and backed by the army.
Hasina’s fall was so dramatic that she had only 45 minutes to leave her official residence Ganobhaban, which was stormed by jubilant protesters shortly after her exit.
The student protests began in July against a quota system in government jobs that critics said favoured people with connections to Hasina’s party.
