Jamaat, allies, student orgs vow to resist Awami League's 'Dhaka lockdown' on 13 November
The AL’s programme comes as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is expected to set the verdict date on 13 November for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and several of her top aides.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, as well as student organisations of the BNP and Jamaat, plan to remain active in the capital on 13 November to counter the Awami League's (AL) announced "Dhaka lockdown" programme.
The AL's programme comes as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is expected to set the verdict date on 13 November for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and several of her top aides.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Jubair told The Business Standard that the public has already rejected the Awami League.
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"People toppled the autocratic regime on 5 August last year. They won't allow those who fled the country in the face of a mass uprising to create anarchy again," he said, vowing to resist any conspiracy alongside the people.
Other Islamist parties also voiced readiness to act. Khelafat Majlis Joint Member-Secretary Abdul Jalil said the ICT verdict should proceed properly and that AL "has no moral or political ground" to make an issue out of it.
"Their so-called 'Dhaka lockdown' will only exist online. Maybe they'll post a few videos on Facebook, but people have already rejected them," he said.
Bangladesh Development Party Chairman AKM Anwarul Islam Chan similarly said the AL lacks the organisational and public strength to enforce such a programme. "They may attempt limited or virtual programmes, but the atmosphere for a political showdown hasn't emerged yet," he said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the BNP's student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said they would not allow any attempt by the AL to create unrest. Chhatra Dal sources told The Business Standard that the organisation was holding discussions on its response, with an internal meeting expected today (10 November).
Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said the AL has been absent from the streets for nearly one and a half years and that the public, alongside student movements, "defeated its violent actions" in the past.
"Whenever the AL has tried to foment disorder, we and other democratic forces have resisted — and we'll do so again on 13 November," he said, adding that it is ultimately the law-enforcement agencies' duty to ensure public safety.
The organisation's Central Organising Secretary Amanullah Aman added that it would not just be Chhatra Dal but "all anti-fascist forces" that would resist any attempt to implement the lockdown. "The noises they [AL] are making about 13 November will not be realised in Bangladesh," he said.
Similarly, Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat, has said it plans to stay active on the ground. Shibir Secretary General Nurul Islam said the organisation is considering holding its own programme that day while coordinating with local administrations.
"We are committed to ensuring that the Awami League cannot create disorder," he added.
Meanwhile, National Citizen Party (NCP) Joint Secretary Mushfiq Us Salehin dismissed the AL's planned programme as "rumours spread from abroad by fallen autocrats," saying the government and law-enforcement agencies are capable of maintaining order.
"If the Awami League tries anything sinister, we will resist them on the streets," the NCP leader said.
