Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (south) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has claimed that India conspired a plan to rehabilitate the ousted Awami League party by creating a ‘Refined Awami League’ during a meeting at the Dhaka Cantonment on March 11.

In a Facebook post at night, Hasnat alleged they were offered seat sharings in exchange for accepting a proposal to bring back what was described as a "Refined Awami League," which he says is "entirely India's plan."

He mentioned the date 11 March and wrote, "A few days ago, I mentioned that there was a plan to introduce a new conspiracy called the 'Refined Awami League.' This plan is entirely India's. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin, and Tapash are being put forward in this plan."

"On 11 March, at 2:30 pm, this plan was presented to me and two others at the Cantonment. We were proposed that in exchange for seat sharing, we should accept this offer. We were told that multiple political parties had already been offered this proposal — and, under certain conditions, they had agreed to the rehabilitation of the Awami League. It was suggested that having multiple opposition parties alongside a weak Awami League would be better than just one opposition party. As a result, over the past two days, you will notice that many politicians in the media have begun giving statements in favour of the Awami League."

He continued, "We were further told that the 'Refined Awami League,' which would be created by them, would admit to the crimes of the Sheikh family from April-May onwards, reject Hasina, and promise to restore the Awami League of Bangabandhu to the public."

Hasnat said they opposed the proposal and informed them that instead of rehabilitating the Awami League, they should work towards holding the Awami League accountable, and then left the meeting.

“If an attempt is made to bring back the Awami League, you will be responsible for the crisis that will arise." Hasnat wrote. “As long as there is a single drop of blood in our veins, we will not let the blood of our martyrs go to waste. After 5 August, there will be no opportunity for the Awami League to come back in Bangladesh…The Awami League must be banned, once and for all."

Hasnat Abdullah is an activist and convener of the Students Against Discrimination, which led the student–people's uprising. He was one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which led the initial quota reform movement, opposing quotas in government jobs and evolved into broader anti-government movement opposing the Hasina’s government.

A group of Dhaka University students held a protest march early on Friday, demanding a ban on the Awami League and the withdrawal of chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus’s statement on not having any plans to ban the party, reports Prothom Alo.

The students staged the demonstrations protesting chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus’s remark that the government has no plan to ban Hasina’s Awami League.

“Professor Yunus stated that the interim government has no plans to ban the party. However, individuals within its leadership who are accused of crimes, including murder and crimes against humanity, will be tried in Bangladesh’s courts,” said a government statement issued late Thursday.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr ShafIqur Rahman also added his voice to Hasnat’s in this regard for the first time, with a statement titled “The public will not accept the rehabilitation of the Awami League,” the Dhaka Tribune reported.