Over 1L Awami League members fled to India: Information Advisor Alam

Dhaka: Bangladesh's interim government's information advisor, Mahfuj Alam, on Tuesday claimed that more than one lakh members of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League have fled to India, according to media reports.

Alam's statement came during an Eid gathering in Dhaka, where families of individuals who allegedly disappeared or were killed during Hasina's tenure were in attendance, as reported by Bangladeshi news portal bdnews24.com.

Human rights group “Mayer Dak” organised the event in the city's Tejgaon area, said a press release.

Alam criticised Hasina, accusing her of using enforced disappearances and killings to avenge the assassination of her parents, as reported by the state-run news agency BSS.

“The highest number of enforced disappearances occurred in 2013 and 2014 when people were fighting for their voting rights. The main objective behind these actions was to destroy the electoral system,” he said.

The advisor said that the government has already formed a commission to investigate enforced disappearances.

“Based on the commission's recommendations, arrest warrants have been issued against several individuals involved in enforced disappearances. Additionally, investigations against many others are still ongoing,” Alam said.

Alam slammed the previous government, saying opponents of the Awami League were wrongly labelled terrorists and militants, then forcibly disappeared. Families faced fear and intimidation, and state institutions were misused to carry out these disappearances, he added.

The adviser claimed Hasina is still hatching conspiracies against the country while staying in India, which is very unfortunate.

He also slammed the Awami League, labelling it a "mafia group", and vowed to prevent the party from regaining power in Bangladesh.

“It is unfortunate that India has chosen to shelter her and her terrorist forces. We have learnt that nearly 100,000 Awami League members have taken refuge there,” he was quoted as saying.

Sheikh Hasina's 16-year-long Awami League regime was overthrown on August 5 last year amidst a violent mass uprising led by students. Since then, the 77-year-old Hasina has been residing in India after secretly fleeing Bangladesh. She currently faces over 100 cases, including those related to mass murder and corruption, following her ouster.

Most of her party leaders and ministers have either been arrested or have fled abroad to evade trial on charges such as crimes against humanity and mass murder. Muhammad Yunus has taken charge as the chief adviser of the interim government. Hasina's Awami League is now absent from the country's political domain.

Mahfuj Alam, one of the leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, played a pivotal role in the July protests that ultimately led to Hasina's downfall. Hasina, along with several of her senior ministers and political aides, has been indicted by Bangladesh's domestic International Crimes Tribunal for committing crimes against humanity during the Students Against Discrimination-led protest.

Originally established during the previous regime, the tribunal aimed to try collaborators of Pakistani military actions responsible for genocide during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.

(inputs from PTI)