AL's registration as a political party must be cancelled immediately: Nahid

The Awami League's (AL) registration as a political party must be cancelled, and their organisational activities should be banned immediately, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has said.

"On 5 August, the people of Bangladesh gave a verdict against the Awami League that they can not do politics in this country ever again. When we say people will decide about the Awami League, one way of doing it is through voting while the other is by taking it to the streets with a mass uprising, which happened on 5 August," he said at an event marking the anniversary of the AB Party at the National Press Club in Dhaka today (2 May).

"A mass uprising took place in the country, during which the people rejected Mujibism and the Awami League. The Awami League leaders have fled the country due to public outrage. After this, there can be no discussion about whether the Awami League can engage in politics in this country or not," Nahid added.

Stating that AL has lost the moral foundation for politics, the NCP convener said, "Now the question is what legal arrangement will be made."

Further elaborating on the legal arrangements, Nahid added, "We must pave the way for a democratic process. The Awami League's registration should be cancelled, their organisational activities should be banned immediately, and we can get a final verdict through judicial proceedings."

Nahid said the AB Party had helped the anti-fascist movement multiple times.

"Other political parties have also cooperated," he added.

"Moving forward, the political discussions involve reform, elections, and bringing the Awami League to justice. None of these contradict each other. Rather, democratic transformation is possible through these three elements," he added.

Regarding reforms, Nahid Islam further said, "All political parties are talking about reforms. We must remain united on the issue of fundamental reforms. Through this, governance and power transfer can occur."

"If that doesn't change, the people's aspirations will not be realised," he added.

Mentioning that political conflicts have always arisen over elections, the NCP convener said goodwill from political parties is needed beyond institutional rules for peaceful power transfer.

"Political culture needs to change, and political parties need to build trust and confidence among themselves. Without this, attempts at peaceful power transfer will not be possible," he added.