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Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has compared ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to Adolf Hitler, saying the former ruling Awami League forces will never be able to return to Bangladesh or engage in politics.
“Just as the Nazis could never return to Germany or take part in politics, the fascist Awami League forces who fled following the mass uprising will never be able to return to Bangladesh,” he said.
The minister made the remarks in a statement under Rule 300 during the third day of the fourth session of the 13th National Parliament on Wednesday.
He said Hasina’s flight from Bangladesh could only be compared with the historical example of Hitler’s Nazi forces fleeing Germany.
Salahuddin also accused the Awami League of having a history of setting buses on fire during hartals.
Recalling an incident in Shahbagh, he said a passenger bus belonging to the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) was set on fire after gunpowder was thrown at it in front of the then Sheraton Hotel, now InterContinental Dhaka.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the minister, at least nine passengers were burned to death at the scene, while two others later died in hospital.
Responding to opposition remarks, Salahuddin alleged that Hasina was issuing instructions to party leaders from across the border through audio and video calls to identify participants in the July uprising and attack their homes.
He also alleged that she had threatened to punish July uprising participants if she returned to Bangladesh.
On law enforcement and public safety, the minister said the government was committed to respecting national and international human rights laws.
He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had pledged to establish a safe Bangladesh and that the government had no intention of turning law enforcement agencies into repressive forces.
