Awami League able to hold rallies because of Jamaat, claims Rashed
Rashed Khan, the Prime Minister's political aide, speaks to journalists in Jhenaidah. Photo: Agamir Somoy
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Political Assistant Rashed Khan has claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami is behind the rallies being held by the Awami League, whose political activities have been banned.
He said the Awami League, despite the ban on its political activities, held a protest rally in Gulshan. He suggested that the party may have secretly communicated with Jamaat-e-Islami and held the rally with its backing.
Rashed made the remarks today while referring to a rally by Awami League supporters in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Friday.
He made the comments after virtually joining the inauguration of the government’s three-month dengue prevention programme and participating in an awareness rally organised by the district administration.
Referring to the political relationship between the Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami, Rashed, who contested the last parliamentary election as a BNP candidate, recalled the movement for a caretaker government in 1996.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami had joined the Awami League in a movement against the BNP government in 1996. This time too, he claimed, the Awami League is getting courage to carry out political activities because of Jamaat.
Rashed further said, “Jamaat leaders are saying they have no objection if the Awami League returns to politics. But we want to say that the people of the country will no longer accept Awami League politics.”
No immediate reaction from Jamaat-e-Islami was available regarding the remarks by Rashed Khan.
However, Dilshana Parul, a leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and a parliamentary candidate, has instead blamed the ruling BNP.
In a Facebook post yesterday about the Awami League rally in Gulshan, she wrote, “If BNP did not want it, Awami League would not have the courage to hold a rally in Gulshan, or anywhere in Bangladesh. Awami League holds rallies because BNP wants them to.”
Explaining the reasoning behind her statement, she said, “BNP’s political calculation is that they will keep Jamaat in check by calling them Razakars and war criminals. And they will use the Awami League to keep the NCP in check. This is BNP’s calculation.”
Following its ouster from power in the July uprising two years ago, the Awami League’s political activities were banned by the interim government. The ban has remained in place even after the BNP came to power through the election held in February.
Despite the ban, Awami League leaders and activists have continued to attempt to hold rallies and have faced police obstruction. Police said 32 people were arrested from yesterday’s rally in Gulshan.
