DHAKA, Oct 17, 2020 (BSS) – Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said there is no need of creating ‘interim issue’ in the name of interim parliamentary elections as the polls will be held in due time and the people will decide who will run the government.
“A clique is talking about interim government. We want to say that Awami League formed government after getting people’s mandate. So, if you want the changeover of the government, you will have to wait till the next elections,” he said.
Quader, also Awami League general secretary, was addressing a discussion arranged by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He joined it through videoconferencing from his official residence on parliament premises.
He said Awami League (AL) doesn’t look for secret alleyways to go to power as it has absolute trust in this soil and its people.
AL wants to win the hearts of people through development activities, not by hatching conspiracy, he said.
The AL general secretary said if the people give their verdict in favour of AL in the next general polls, it will again form government and if the people do not want AL, it will step down.
He said BNP leaders are making same allegations year after year that there is no democracy in the country but they themselves did not believe in democracy.
How a party which has no democracy within itself would establish democracy in the country, he questioned.
The minister said in the democratic system, changeover of government takes place through elections but BNP does not want to participate in polls.
Even if they take part in elections, they do it for eyewash for making the polls questionable, he added.
Quader said if BNP wins in any polls, they claim that they could get more votes and if they lose, they shift the liability of their defeat to the Election Commission (EC) or the government.
The talk of democratic practice does not suit BNP as the entire party is very efficient in undemocratic practices, he added.
“So, we want to reiterate that general elections will be held in proper time following the constitution and democratic trend. BNP will have to wait for that,” he said, urging BNP to return to positive trend of politics to earn people’s trust shunning the path of evil politics.
He said during BNP’s tenure, the country became champion in corruption for five times consecutively putting the people in the sea of shame and frustration.
BNP established a power house in the name of Hawa Bhaban to lead corrupt activities and irregularities, he added.
The AL general secretary said when the country is going ahead in an indomitable pace under the leadership of the AL government, an evil force is out to hatch anti-country conspiracy.
It is not unknown to the government wherever BNP is holding meetings at home and abroad and hatching conspiracy, he said.
Turning to coronavirus situation, the minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s farsighted leadership and her efficiency in taking timely decision in facing the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak have attained global accolades.
Under her dynamic leadership, the wheels of country’s economy have made a turnaround overcoming the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, he said, adding that now the country’s foreign exchange reserve is around $40 billon.
He said Bangladesh has moved 13 notches up from last year’s 88th position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 and it did better than other South Asian countries, including India and Pakistan.
Indomitable Bangladesh is going ahead surpassing Pakistan in every socioeconomic index, he said.
Quader said a clique is making their evil attempts to create instability in the government and public administration through making falsehood and it is tarnishing the image of the country while doing anti-government activities.
DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique presided over the function while Chief Coordinator of National Implementation Committee for Celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Bangabandhu Chair of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) Professor Dr. Syed Anwar Husain and Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam addressed it through virtual platform.