July Oikya publishes list of alleged Awami League cohorts in govt, demands immediate action

A platform named July Oikya has published a list of government officials it alleges are "cohorts of the Awami League" and demanded that those named be sent into compulsory retirement by the end of this month.

The group, which is reportedly a coalition of around 80 organisations, made the announcement at a press conference at the National Press Club today (20 May), where it also laid out a series of demands to the government.

According to a written statement read out at the briefing, although the government has banned the activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Election Commission has suspended its registration, July Oikya does not fully accept the way this was done. Nevertheless, they welcomed the initiative.

The coalition claimed that despite the government's gazette notification, no visible action has yet been taken against associate organisations of the Awami League or individuals within the administration who allegedly supported the party during its time in power.

The statement added, "For the past fifteen and a half years, bureaucrats and administrative officials who supported Sheikh Hasina's regime have continued to hold power within the Secretariat and other important offices."

The group alleged that many of those individuals are now aiding in the rehabilitation and safe exit of former Awami League leaders, referencing recent political activity and the departure of former President Abdul Hamid as examples.

During the press conference, July Oikya released what it described as a "preliminary list" of magistrates and government officials who, it claimed, had played roles in suppressing the July-August movement. 

The coalition said it would soon publish further lists covering other sectors, including academia, healthcare, the judiciary, culture, and media.

"We are alive so far by upholding July," the group said in its statement. "If July does not survive, we will not either."

July Oikya issued the following demands to the government:

• All individuals named as Awami League cohorts must be compulsorily retired by 31 May 2025.
• A government investigation committee must be formed within three working days, with visible progress reported to the public.
• The bank accounts and illegal assets of those accused of leaking information, giving instructions, or assisting in attacks on students and the public must be frozen.
• These individuals must be barred from leaving the country and face legal action.
• A complete list of such individuals must be published on the government website by 5 August 2025.
• Section 132 of the Penal Code, which prevents the filing of cases against police officers at police stations, must be repealed or amended by 31 May 2025.
• The government must publish a list of 626 individuals who reportedly took shelter in the cantonment, along with their current status and any assistance they may have received in leaving the country.

The platform also warned of further action if its demands are not met.

"If the list of 626 individuals is not published, if the Secretariat and administration are not freed from the autocrats' cohorts, and if Section 132 is not amended or repealed by 31 May, then after that date, we will announce harsher programmes," the statement read.

These could include a "March to the Secretariat" involving student and public organisations aligned with the July movement.