Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday said the fascist forces that were ousted from power would never be allowed to do politics on Bangladesh soil again.

“We heard that various leaders of the ousted fascist Awami League are holding Zoom meetings regularly. They are telling their activists that the ousted fascist Sheikh Hasina, the ousted fascist, autocratic and mafia, will return in December. We want her to return,” he said.

“But, Inshallah, we will never allow the fascist forces to do politics on the soil of Bangladesh again,” he added.

The home minister was speaking as the chief guest at a rally organised by local BNP and its affiliated organisations at Sadek Hossain Khoka Playground near Dholaikhal in the afternoon.

He said those who had carried out mass killings and fired on the people of Bangladesh would not be forgiven and everyone responsible would face justice.

He said the government’s commitment is to ensure that those responsible for enforced disappearances and killings over the past 17 years, those who committed crimes against humanity, and those who “systematically killed democracy” and ran a government without votes would never again be allowed to engage in politics.

“Those forces, the fascist forces that created a shameful history in the world and subjected the people of this country to the most brutal killings since independence, will never be allowed to do politics in Bangladesh again, Inshallah,” he said.

The minister said the Bangladesh government had officially sought Sheikh Hasina’s return from the Indian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the existing extradition agreement, but India had not yet responded.

“We want her to return and face justice,” he said.

“We, the people of Bangladesh, have judged them. If they seek an opportunity to appeal, they will be allowed to do so, and a fair trial will be ensured accordingly. Trials in this country have been conducted to international standards. Return and serve your sentence, or appeal if you have the opportunity.”

“There is no point in raising voices. The people of Bangladesh have rejected this force,” Salahuddin said.

Turning to recent opposition activities, Salahuddin said those who were “threatening” the government and announcing a one-point movement to topple it should remember that the government was only seven months old.

“You are announcing a one-point movement when the government is seven months old. Do you think the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies will simply sit and watch?” he said.

He said the government wanted to protect stability, strengthen democracy and bring constitutional changes so that fascist and autocratic forces could never rise again in the country.

“We called upon you to participate in the constitutional reform committee. You did not come. You took to the streets and organised long marches. You went to the north once and the south another time. We hear that you will go east and perhaps west as well. You will organise four long marches,” he said.

“You can hold long marches, but the people of Bangladesh have already taken a short decision. They will never again invite anti-independence forces to this country,” he said.

Salahuddin said opposition parties are free to hold long marches, but questioned why they had announced such programmes within six months of the government taking office.

“We usually saw intense movements against a government when it was nearing the end of its four-year term. But what failure of the government have you seen within six months that you have announced a long march against it?” he asked.

He said opposition parties had raised the issues of rising commodity and fuel prices but had not mentioned the extent to which fuel prices had increased globally.

“Fuel prices have increased two or three times more than ours in many countries around the world, including our neighbouring country,” he said.

Salahuddin said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had refrained from increasing fuel prices for a month to reduce public hardship, prevent commodity prices from rising and protect farmers from additional difficulties.

He said fuel prices were subsequently increased by the minimum amount necessary to maintain balance with international prices and prevent fuel smuggling across the border.

“After that, we saw stability in commodity prices. Even after that, because the Gulf War has not ended and fuel prices have been rising rapidly around the world, we have also had to increase them to some extent. The people have accepted it as a tolerable situation,” he said.

The minister apologised to the people for the hardship caused by the price increase.

“Our prime minister has repeatedly expressed regret for your suffering. Inshallah, if fuel prices fall in the international market, we will reduce fuel prices in this country proportionately. This is our commitment,” he said.

Salahuddin called for unity to protect democracy, independence and sovereignty and to ensure the country’s democratic journey continues without allowing fascism to emerge again.

“Just as we united to bring down fascism, just as we fought and shed blood on the streets to bring down this fascist autocracy, we will remain united in the same way,” he said.

“We will remain united for the democratic struggle. We will continue the anti-fascist democratic process. We will remain on the streets, in the field, in parliament and among the people, Inshallah,” he said.

Salahuddin said the country is now in a post-uprising situation and that the government is standing on the basis of extensive public expectations.

“It has been seven months since we took responsibility for the government. The people are observing what we have been able to do in these seven months. They are also watching what plans we have for fulfilling public expectations in the days ahead,” he said.

He said people are also observing what the opposition parties are doing and what Sheikh Hasina, whom he described as an ousted fascist, autocrat and “mafia” force, is doing from India.