Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Saturday that the Awami League has suffered a complete political downfall, claiming the party has been “destroyed and eliminated” and is now “buried in Delhi.”
He further asserted that the party will no longer be able to participate in Bangladesh’s political process in the future.
The Home Minister made the remarks at a discussion meeting of the July National Conference-2026 on Saturday, marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution.
The conference was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center under the joint initiative of the July '24 Martyrs' Families Society and the Central Executive Committee of Amra July Joddha (We Are July Fighters)'. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was the chief guest at the event.
“The UN report says 14,000 cases, but officially, in various newspapers and surveys, only 700 to 800 accounts are available. Where did the rest go? Because the hospitals could not preserve the records of the martyrs, even their documents have disappeared. They were buried as unclaimed bodies. Today, we cannot return them to their relatives after searching for their graves.
After such a brutal murder, after the genocide, there is still no apology from the mass murderer Sheikh Hasina. They are labeling the July fighters as criminals; they are labeling this mass uprising in Bangladesh as militant. In Bangladesh, their state power has been seized through militancy. There is nothing more shameful than this,” the Home Minister said.
“There is no apology within the Awami League. They do not have the condition to admit guilt; they do not have that history either. On the contrary, they are sitting abroad and now conspiring against the democratic government in Bangladesh in various ways.”
“The Awami League has fallen politically; it has been politically destroyed and eliminated. It has been buried in Delhi. That Awami League will never be able to do politics in Bangladesh again.”
AL must face trial
The Home Minister said that everyone has demanded the trial of the Awami League as a political party. The investigation is ongoing. Very soon, it will be taken to trial as a political party.
“The law has been amended according to Article 47 of the Constitution. It is included in the Anti-Terrorism Act and the ICT Act that political parties can be tried. So wait.”
Salahuddin has said that those who are taking political advantage of the spirit of the July Revolution and “selling it” will face consequences in the future.
He requested, “I ask those organising this event today that none of us should profit from the spirit of this July.
Those who organise political groups in various ways to exploit the spirit of the July Revolution for political gain will face consequences in the future. But history is like that.”
Referring to the consequences of the fascist Awami League, Salahuddin said, “Those who used to sell the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War are sitting in Delhi today selling their spirit. The people of Bangladesh overthrew them. Therefore, selling the spirit for political advantage is not good.”
He said, “We will preserve the history of the great July 24 mass uprising; we will preserve the memory.”
The Home Minister said, “I would like to reveal some behind-the-scenes stories today. Both my leader Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and I were exiled. By the grace of Allah, if we had not been exiled, successfully completing an uprising like this July would not have been possible.”
Status of the July genocide trial
The Home Minister said, “Five genocide and crimes against humanity cases have already been decided. There are 27 cases under trial, and 72 cases are almost at the final stage of investigation.”
He added that the latest verdict in the trial of a fascist ally named Hasanul Haq Inu has been delivered. “I have heard that the plaintiff is not satisfied with only a 10-year sentence, so it will be appealed,” he said.
We can hope that in those cases, justice will be delivered so that he receives the maximum sentence.”
Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni chaired the event.
Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, State Minister Ishraq Hossain, Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Atiqur Rahman Rumon, Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib, President of the Private Universities Student Party Abu Huraira, President of Qawmi Student Forum Maulana Jamil Siddiqui, President of the organising body ‘Amra July Joddha’ Aminul Islam Emon, also spoke.
Abu Hossain, brother of martyr Abu Sayed; Abul Hossain, father of martyr Shahriar Hossain Alvi; Fatematuzzohra, mother of martyr Abdullah bin Zahid; Shafiul Alam, father of martyr Wasim Akram; and Abdur Rab Mia, father of martyr Miraj Hossain from Jatrabari, commemorated the children who were martyred in the July Revolution.