Last Updated on November 6, 2026 8:15 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain, Dhaka
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Friday (November 6) said the people would never allow ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to return to politics, accusing the party of mass killings, repression and failing to express remorse for its actions during its 16-year rule.
Addressing the concluding session of the 104th annual religious gathering at Babunagar Madrasa in Chattogram’s Fatikchhari, Ahmed said those responsible for violence and persecution had no place in Bangladesh’s political future.
“The party that killed people, committed genocide, carried out oppression and persecution, and has still neither sought forgiveness nor expressed remorse will not be allowed to do politics in this country,” he said.
The minister alleged that forces linked to Hasina’s ousted government were behind recent attempts to create unrest in Bangladesh’s garment industry, where workers have been demanding higher wages and protesting over working conditions.
Earlier this week, Ahmed accused former Awami League-linked politicians, industrialists and vested groups of exploiting workers to destabilise the country. However, those allegations have not been independently established.
Referring to the July-August 2024 uprising that forced Hasina to flee to India, Ahmed cited United Nations estimates suggesting around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest.
He further said that approximately 3,000 people suffered enforced disappearances during the previous government’s rule, while another 7,000 faced killings, torture or persecution.
“I was also one of them. By the grace of Almighty Allah and through people’s prayers, I am still alive,” he said, referring to enforced disappearances.
He criticised unnamed political parties for using Islam to gain support while failing to reflect Islamic principles in their election manifestos.
The minister pledged to uphold religious values, implement the July Charter and promote economic development, employment and national unity.
Ahmed’s remarks came a day after Hasina told The Associated Press (AP) on Thursday (November 5) that she remained determined to return to Bangladesh from exile in India in December, despite facing a death sentence over her government’s crackdown on protesters. “If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she said, adding, “So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.”
Hasina’s Awami League has faced restrictions on political activities since May 2025, when the interim government banned its activities. The BNP-led government has maintained those restrictions.