India has said the ban on the Awami League was imposed "without due process" and termed it a "concerning development...
At the weekly media briefing in New Delhi yesterday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that India is "concerned at the curtailment of democratic freedom and of shrinking political space in Bangladesh".
"The ban on the Awami League without due process is a concerning development. There is a method of doing things in a democracy. As a democracy, India is naturally concerned at the curtailment of democratic freedom and of shrinking political space in Bangladesh. We strongly support the early holding of free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh," Jaiswal said.
BSS reports: Reacting to India's remarks, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to chief adviser, said, "The wounds caused by the crimes against humanity perpetrated by this party are still fresh.
"We have witnessed how Awami League completely destroyed our democratic fabric, severely squeezed our political space and compromised our sovereignty during its 15-year tyrannical and kleptocratic rule."
Shafiqul reiterated that the ban on the activities of the AL is necessary to protect national security and sovereignty, ensure the safety of July uprising activists and safeguard plaintiffs and witnesses of the International Crimes Tribunal.
"As for elections, we recall how the Awami League repeatedly resorted to grossly farcical elections and caused irreparable damages to our electoral processes and institutions," the press secretary said.
The interim government, he said, is engaged in a reform process to rebuild the country's democratic system.
"Elections are entirely our internal matter. We urge all to respect the sovereign will of our people in matters relating to elections," Shafiqul said.
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