'For the Awami League to speak boldly again, we would all have to lose our memory': Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman

Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has said although the activities of the Awami League remain banned, the party has been attempting isolated acts of sabotage in different parts of the country. 

However, he argued that the party lacks the moral strength to undertake any significant action as a whole. “For the Awami League to speak boldly again, we would all have to lose our memory,” he said.

He made the remarks on Tuesday while responding to a question at a weekly press briefing held at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) at the Secretariat.

Asked whether the Awami League would eventually be banned as a political party, Rahman said the matter would be decided by the courts. “At present, the Awami League is not in a position to do much on the ground because it lacks moral confidence,” he said.

The adviser added that whether the party would ultimately be banned would be determined by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). “The court will decide, after due process, whether the party was involved in crimes against humanity,” he said.

He noted that, until legal proceedings are concluded, the Awami League's activities would remain prohibited under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. “If the party attempts to organise political programs while under this restriction, it would be violating the law. 

In that case, it is natural that the government would take action,” he said.

Commenting on the deployment of the military, Rahman said he did not believe the Awami League possessed the moral courage to mount any major challenge.

“We have a saying: ‘The thief’s mother speaks the loudest.’ For the Awami League to speak boldly before us again, all of us would first have to lose our memory. We would all have to suffer from dementia. Only then could the Awami League talk to us in that tone. I do not think that day has come,” he said.

Rahman further argued that the party lacks the moral courage required for such a role. “Those involved in looting, mafia activities, and criminality generally do not possess much moral courage,” he added.

–