Oli for banning Awami League

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President, Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, on Saturday called for a ban on the Bangladesh Awami League, claiming the party has lost its right to participate in politics due to its actions during the July-August protests against 18 crore people of Bangladesh.

"Why shouldn't the Awami League be banned? We have said it again today: Awami League should be banned because they waged war against the people of this country. They no longer have the right to do politics," Oli told reporters after his dialogue with Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

Oli, who previously served as Communications Minister during the BNP-Jamaat tenure, accused the Awami League of using state machinery, including the police and administration, to hold onto power. He added that the party only survived because some members of the army and police refused to open fire during the protests, which he claimed left over 1,500 dead and many more injured.

During the dialogue, Oli's party presented 23 proposals, including a demand for free and fair elections, and raised concerns over the rising prices of essential goods.

This marks the second round of dialogue in the current phase, which began on October 5, involving BNP, Jamaat, CPB, and other parties. A total of 15 political parties, including Gono Forum, LDP, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Andaleeve), were invited to participate in Saturday's discussions.

The main aim of the dialogue is to update political parties on the progress of government reforms and to seek their input on key issues.