Special Correspondent //

The government has not imposed any restrictions on protests and gatherings, but Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to the chief advisor, has given a strong message about the strike program called by the Awami League. He gave this message in a post on his verified Facebook ID on Wednesday (January 29).

In the Facebook post, he wrote, “Since taking office in August, the interim government has not stopped or banned any just protest. We believe in the freedom to assemble and the freedom of organizational activities.” A media report this morning said that in the last five and a half months, at least 136 protests have taken place in Dhaka alone. Some of these protests have caused massive traffic jams. Yet, the government has never imposed any restrictions on protests and gatherings.

In the post, he asked, “Should we give the fascist Awami League a chance to protest?” Video footage from July-August clearly shows that Awami League activists participated in the killing of peaceful protesters. Hundreds of young students, including minors, were martyred in their killings. The Awami League-led government led by Sheikh Hasina is responsible for the massacres, murders, and violence during the July uprising.

Sheikh Hasina has directly ordered killings and enforced disappearances during her 16-year dictatorship, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, citing interviews with several prominent human rights activists. She has led a kleptocracy and a murderous regime. An impartial and independent panel says that under Sheikh Hasina’s supervision, her close associates have embezzled $234 billion. Hasina’s family is now under investigation for stealing billions of dollars from corrupt deals.

In addition, about 3,500 people have been subjected to enforced disappearances during Hasina’s government. About 3,000 people have been extrajudicially killed. The Shapla Chattar rally and the verdict of Maulana Sayedee were followed by a massacre of protesters. The police force turned into a police league during Hasina’s rule. Fake and absentee cases were filed against about 6 million opposition leaders and activists during Hasina’s dictatorship. Even the country’s first Hindu Chief Justice was brutally beaten, forced to resign and sent into exile.

He also said, “Will any country in the world allow a group of murderers and corrupt gangs to come to power again? No country allows normal activities to return without accountability. The people of Bangladesh will give a strong response to any protest rally by these murderers. The interim government represents the people of Bangladesh. We will not allow any attempt to push the country towards violence. If anyone dares to hold illegal protests under the banner of Awami League, he will have to face the law.”

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