Awami League slams Yunus for 'threatening' B'desh media against broadcasting Hasina's speech

Dhaka, Aug 23 (IANS) Bangladesh's Awami League on Saturday slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for "threatening" the country's media houses with legal action against any future publication or dissemination of statements from former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In a statement released on Friday, the interim government termed airing or promoting Hasina's remarks on television channels, news platforms, or online media a violation of law, considering her conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity, local media reported.

"The illegal occupier, killer-fascist Yunus and his cohorts have immorally threatened the country's media that action will be taken if they broadcast the speech of Awami League President and Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," the Awami League said in a statement.

The party further slammed Yunus and the interim government for "establishing mob rule and fascism through injustice, lawlessness, and lack of accountability," which it said was "pushing Bangladesh dangerously towards division."

"This crisis will be a burden on the people of Bangladesh for generations to come," it said.

Raising concern, the Awami League noted that citing the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh as the "excuse" to issue threats against broadcasting Hasina's speech is "itself completely illegal."

Calling the ICT illegal, the party further said that only an "occupier government" could unlawfully and maliciously use the verdicts of such a tribunal. The move, it said, proves that the Yunus regime is using state machinery in every possible way to strangle the media.

"Killer-fascist Yunus and his associates are afflicted with schizophrenia. They have lost their sense of reason and judgment and have imposed jungle rule in today's Bangladesh. By brute force, they want to do everything, disregarding people's opinion altogether," the party emphasised.

The party alleged that through domestic and foreign conspiracies, the Yunus regime is attempting to use Bangladesh's state apparatus to "falsely frame" Hasina as a criminal.

It added that the regime is subjecting Hasina, along with Awami League leaders and activists, to "extreme oppression and persecution" solely due to their political ideology and beliefs.

Asserting that Hasina is the ideological leader of a vast population of Bangladesh and a central figure of the country's politics, the Awami League stated that no conspiracy or mischief can erase this enduring political force.

It stressed that the leaders and activists of the Awami League, together with the people of the country, will stand firmly against the "evil activities of these anti-national forces."

--IANS

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