No room for reconciliation with Awami League amid ongoing violence: Zahed

Government Rejects Reconciliation With Awami League as Violence Allegations Persist

Bdbusinessdaily.com – The government has ruled out any immediate prospect of reconciliation with the activities-banned Awami League, with Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman citing allegations of continued violence, intimidation and attempts to create instability inside Bangladesh.

Speaking at the Department of Information’s weekly press briefing on 13 October, Zahed said the party had not shown remorse for allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity. He said that, instead of offering an apology, individuals linked to the Awami League were allegedly pursuing efforts to harass senior Bangladeshi officials overseas while also attempting to provoke unrest at home.

The adviser’s remarks underscore the government’s position that political engagement cannot be separated from accountability for serious allegations. In his view, any discussion about restoring relations would have to confront the conduct the government attributes to the party over recent years.

Claims of Harassment Abroad

Zahed referred particularly to an incident involving former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York. He said the government would examine whether Bangladesh’s embassy in New York had failed to provide sufficient security arrangements for Yunus during the episode.

He also mentioned allegations involving actress Badhan, saying legal action had already been initiated against people accused of harassing her abroad. Similar legal measures would be pursued in relation to the incident involving Yunus, he said.

“There is no question of allowing this to go unchallenged,” Zahed said.

He warned Awami League members living outside Bangladesh against repeating such acts. The government, he said, would not treat alleged harassment of public figures and prominent Bangladeshis overseas as matters that could be ignored.

Zahed alleged that party members who left the country after committing genocide had not expressed regret for those actions. He said they were instead continuing campaigns against Yunus, other high-ranking government figures and Badhan, while seeking to fuel violence in Bangladesh.

No Basis for Political Talks

When asked whether an apology by some Awami League figures could create room for a settlement, Zahed described the proposition as hypothetical. He said the government possessed records relating to alleged misconduct, terrorist activity and attempts to encourage unrest through audio messages during the past two years.

Given the scale of the accusations involving crimes against humanity, he said there was no basis for negotiations or an understanding with the Awami League at this stage.

The adviser’s comments draw a clear distinction between individual legal responsibility and the wider political question of engagement with a banned party. His position was that the government’s concerns extend beyond isolated incidents, encompassing what it describes as a continuing pattern of efforts to influence events in Bangladesh from abroad.

For the government, the issue is therefore not limited to whether individual members make statements of regret. Zahed indicated that accountability, legal action and the alleged consequences of past conduct remain central considerations before any political accommodation could be contemplated.

Legal Efforts Over Sheikh Hasina’s Return

Zahed was also asked about efforts to bring former prime minister Sheikh Hasina back from India. He said the government was following the formal legal process to seek her return and to ensure that justice could proceed.

He added that the government would not object if Hasina chose to return to Bangladesh voluntarily. If she did so, Zahed said, she would have to face court proceedings and the verdict of the judiciary over allegations of crimes against humanity.

The comments reflect the government’s emphasis on legal channels rather than political arrangements in addressing allegations against former leaders. A voluntary return, in this view, would not remove the requirement to appear before the courts or alter the legal process already under way.

The question of Hasina’s return remains closely connected to the broader debate around accountability and political stability. Zahed’s statement indicated that the government sees a judicial process as the appropriate route for resolving allegations against the former prime minister, rather than an informal political settlement.

Press Council Reform Also Discussed

Alongside the political issues, Zahed briefed journalists on proposed reforms to the Bangladesh Press Council Act. He said the planned changes were intended to modernise the law while protecting press freedom and addressing journalistic malpractice.

The proposed reforms are aimed at balancing two responsibilities: safeguarding the ability of journalists to work freely and creating mechanisms to deal with professional misconduct. Zahed did not outline specific provisions during the briefing, but presented the initiative as part of a wider effort to update the country’s media-related legal framework.

Dr Md Alam Mostafa, joint secretary of the ministry, and Mosabbira Kaderi, senior deputy principal information officer at the Department of Information, were present at the briefing.

Zahed’s comments placed the government’s approach to the Awami League, overseas incidents and the return of Sheikh Hasina within a common framework of legal accountability. The government’s stated position is that alleged threats, intimidation and efforts to incite violence will be addressed through scrutiny and legal action, while broader political reconciliation remains off the table.