Awami League central executive committee member and former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat has said the party does not want any form of political reconciliation, amid renewed discussion in Bangladesh over the prospect of a political settlement among rival forces.
In a statement posted on his Facebook account on Wednesday, Arafat said the Awami League’s objective was not to reach an accommodation with any political group, but to restore democracy and enable citizens to determine their own government through the ballot.
According to Arafat, the party does not want Bangladesh to be governed by any group that comes to power through an unlawful seizure of power or through a one-sided election or an election based on political accommodation.
He also stressed the need for an independent judiciary to ensure justice for everyone, regardless of political affiliation or identity. In his view, an impartial judicial system is essential for restoring confidence in the country’s political and institutional framework.
Arafat argued that ensuring people’s voting rights and establishing an independent judiciary would be sufficient to address the country’s political crisis. He said there would then be no need for political compromise with anyone.
“The Awami League wants only one thing,” Arafat said, referring to the restoration of democratic rights for the people. He added that the country should return to a path of peace, stability and development.
Commenting on the current political situation, Arafat alleged that both democracy and justice had been taken away from the people and that a particular group had taken control of the state machinery.
He also criticised what he described as the concept of “so-called reconciliation”, portraying it as a tactic used by those seeking to undermine the restoration of democratic rights and justice. According to his statement, any political arrangement that does not restore citizens’ rights to vote and ensure an independent system of justice would fail to address the underlying problems.
The remarks come at a time when political reconciliation has emerged as a subject of discussion in Bangladesh, with questions being raised over how political differences and institutional disputes could be addressed. The term “reconciliation” has increasingly featured in conversations about the country’s political future, particularly in relation to democratic participation, elections, accountability and the functioning of state institutions.
Against that backdrop, Arafat’s comments represent a clear rejection of a negotiated political settlement on behalf of the position he articulated for the Awami League. Rather than seeking an accommodation with political opponents, he has framed the restoration of voting rights and an independent judiciary as the central requirements for resolving the country’s political crisis.
His statement also places the question of political legitimacy at the centre of the debate. By emphasising the right of citizens to choose their government through elections, Arafat argued that the country’s future should ultimately be determined through democratic participation rather than political deals between competing groups.
