80 per cent conscious, honest people hate BNP: Quader

January 22, 2018 00:00:00

Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Sunday 80 per cent conscious and honest people of the country hate BNP, report agencies.

The AL leader made the comments in response to the BNP leaders' claim that their party will get 80 per cent vote if the next election is held in a credible manner.

He was talking to journalists at his Secretariat office in the morning.

"BNP leaders are engaged in a competition of making anti-government statements to appease their high-ups," Quader said.

Mentioning that BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Barrister Moudud Ahmed made two different demands over the formation of a polls-time supportive government, he said, "The BNP leaders themselves are not clear about their demands. They (BNP leaders) should decide what they actually want."

Asked whether Awami League will sit in a dialogue with BNP over the upcoming parliamentary polls, Quader said there is no need to arrange dialogue.

Replying to another query over the formation of polls-time supportive government, he said they will form the polls-time government following other democratic countries of the world.

"During the last election, we had invited BNP to be part of the polls-time government at that time. They didn't take part. We're waiting for their response this time, too," he added.

Mentioning that BNP has its democratic right to participate in the election, the ruling party leader said, "No democratic government invites political parties to take part in the election. It's their democratic right. Why should we invite them?"

Terming the BNP's allegation that if BNP contests the election, Awami League will foil it as 'mischief', Quader said AL does not want to participate in any election without competitors.

When asked about the protest by the former leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra Leage (BCL) over the formation of party's sub-committee, Quader said it was misrepresented. "No committee was formed. Only a draft was made to constitute its sub-committees in 19 divisions," he said.

"The former BCL leaders came to me at the political office of Awami League president Shiekh Hasina to know the fact. When I described them the actual matter, they brought out a jubilant rally. It was not a protest rally," he added.