CHATTOGRAM, Feb 4, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP would carry out violence and bite the people again if they get opportunity though the party is now pretending to be in a systematic movement.
 
"BNP would carry out sabotage acts and bite the countrymen again if they get scope. So, the leaders and activists of Awami League (AL) should remain alert," he told a peace rally organised by AL city unit in Andarkilla circle here.
 
Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and former city mayor AJM Nasir Uddin addressed the rally as special guests with AL city unit acting president Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury in the chair.
 
Joint secretary of the unit Chowdhury Hasan Mahmud conducted the rally.
 
Dr Hasan said BNP leaders know that they have no chance in the elections and for this, they are hatching conspiracies. Now, they are busy with plotting sabotage acts and anarchies, he added.
 
He said Awami League is a party of street and it will remain on the street till the polls. No one will be allowed to carry out violence, he said, adding that Awami League leaders and activists would resist them along with people if anyone tries to create anarchies.
 
The minister said the AL leaders and activists are on the street and they would not go back to their home without victory in the next polls.
 
He said BNP had declared that they would topple the government by December 10 last year, gather about 10 lakh people in the rally and the country would run under the leadership of Begum Zia after December 10. 
 
"We told them (BNP) to go to the grounds of the trade fair or Biswa Ijtem if they don't want to go to Suharwardi Udyan as they can gather hundreds of people. But they said that they would hold their rally in front of the party's Naya Paltan office. But later, they held their rally on the ground of sacrificing animals," said Hasan.
 
He said live explosives, two laks of water bottles and few tonnes of rice were found in their office. In fact, their plans were to carry out violence across the Dhaka city, he added.
 
After that, he said, BNP has given the programme of walking. But the people are telling that BNP might run out breath and now choose the path of road march programme, he added.
 
He said BNP has declared to hold rallies at eight places across the country. But, their main intention is to create chaos in the country, he added.
 
The minister asserted that there will never be a caretaker government in the country. There is no caretaker government anywhere across the globe except in Pakistan, he added.
 
The ruling party leader said Bangladesh doesn't follow Pakistan, rather the country follows Bangladesh.
 
He said in all parliamentary democratic countries, the government which is in power holds office during elections. Here is also the same, he continued.
 
He said incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will work as the premier during the election period and her government will discharge duty as the election-time government. And the polls will be held under the Election Commission, he added.
 
AL central member Noeem Uddin Chowdhury, AL city unit vice president Khorshed Alam Sujan Advocate Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul, advisor Shafar Ali, treasurer Abdus Salam and organising secretary Noman Al Mahmud, among others, addressed the rally.

 
Earlier, Hasan joined a cheques distribution function of Journalist Welfare Trust at Chattogram Press Club (CPC).
 
In his address, the minister said, "This is the year of elections and journalists create public opinions and the minds of people. Obviously, the journalists would criticise, but they should keep in mind that whether the country would move or not or whether the country would be Pakistan or Malaysia or Singapore".
 
Seeking cooperation from the journalist to keep the continuation of the ongoing development, the minister said the next election is a very important one for the state and the nation.
 
He said Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government is journalist friendly. For this, journalists irrespective of all opinions are provided assistance through the welfare trust, he added.
 
Welfare trust managing director Subhash Chanda Badal, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Omar Faruque and secretary general Dip Azad, CPC president Salauddin Md Reza and general secretary Debdulal Bhowmik, among others, addressed the function with Chattogram Union of Journalists president Tapan Chakrabarty in the chair.