Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party, in a Facebook post early today claimed that a conspiracy is afoot to rehabilitate the Awami League in the name of "Refined Awami League" at the behest of India.

He wrote on Facebook that a proposal for this version of Awami League, helmed by such former AL leaders as Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and Fazle Noor Taposh, was pitched to him and two others "by the cantonment" on the afternoon of March 11.

One of the most visible faces of the July uprising, Hasnat claimed, "We were asked to accept this proposal in exchange for a seat-sharing agreement."

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Although the uprising leader turned politician does not elaborate on it further, the "seat-sharing agreement" is very likely to indicate a concessional arrangement in parliament.

"We were told, that more than one political party has already been given this proposal, and they have agreed to the rehabilitation of the Awami League on certain conditions. According to them, it is better to have several opposition parties including a weak Awami League rather than just one strong opposition."

"We were further told that those who will lead this 'Refined Awami League' will start publicly admitting to the crimes of the Sheikh family from April-May onwards, distancing themselves from Hasina while pledging allegiance only to Bangabandhu's Awami League," he said in the Facebook post made around 2:00am.

He said the offer was immediately rejected with the assertion that efforts should be made to prosecute the Awami League rather than rehabilitating them.

Without naming who approached them, Hasnat said they were threatened with having to bear the responsibility for any crisis that might precipitate out of their outright rejection to rehabilitate Awami League. Hasnat claimed that they were told, "Awami League must come back."

He wrote in his post that before abruptly ending the meeting and leaving, he had told them, "No inclusivity is possible with the Awami League. If you attempt to reinstate the Awami League, it will have to be over our dead bodies. You'll have to bear the responsibility for the crisis arising from any attempt to bring back the Awami League."

Hasnat claimed that during the July uprising, similar attempts were made to influence their actions. "We faced pressure from agencies and the cantonment to accept various prescriptions, but we never bowed down. Instead, we put our faith in you—the people—and together we ensured Hasina's ultimate downfall.

"…I put my trust once more in you, the people. After this post, I don't know what consequences I might face. I might face intense pressure or even danger. However, there is absolutely no scope for compromise on the issue of banning Awami League.

"In July, your powerful movement helped us discard all prescriptions from cantonment and agencies. If you stand by us again today, if you join us on the streets, we will once again defeat this Indian conspiracy to rehabilitate the Awami League.

"Let's put aside all doubts and unite against the Awami League. If the Awami League returns to politics, the gains made in July will be undone. As long as we have a single drop of blood left, we will not let the sacrifices of our martyrs go in vain. In Bangladesh after August 5, there is no place for the Awami League's comeback; rather, the Awami League must be banned."

Meanwhile, a group of students of Dhaka University marched on campus around 2:00am today demanding that Awami League be banned from politics.

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The students, led by former central co-coordinators of Students Against Discrimination, AB Zubayer and Musaddiq Ali Ibne Muhammad, marched from the Hall Para area to the base of the Raju Sculpture and held a brief rally there.

At the rally, Zubayer claimed that various political groups, agencies, and communities were exerting pressure on the government to prevent the banning of the Awami League.

He said, "There won't be any election in the country until the Awami League is banned or the trial for mass killings takes place."

Speaking to our correspondent, Zubayer said the protest was arranged by general students as a reaction to the government saying that it has no plans to ban Awami League.

Yesterday, in a meeting with the International Crisis Group, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said that the interim government has no plans to ban the Awami League, but individuals within its leadership accused of crimes, including murder and crimes against humanity, will be tried in Bangladeshi courts.

At the rally, another protest gathering at the base of the Raju Sculpture was announced for 3:00pm today. They also called on students across the country to stage demonstrations in front of their institutions, demanding the ban on the Awami League and the trial of the July killings.