‘BNP's activists frustrated’

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said BNP leaders are talking nonsense as they are tired, and their activists are frustrated, reports BSS.

"The party (BNP) leaders are now criticizing the government blindly in the name of iftar party. In fact, I don't know whether it is 'iftar party' or 'criticise party'. They are organizing those iftar parties only to criticize the Awami League, not to praise Almighty Allah," he said.

The AL general secretary told reporters after a view-exchange meeting with the leaders of Sramik League and Krishak League of Dhaka south and north units at AL central office in the city's Bangabandhu Avenue.

Quader said, "It is necessary to reply with the rubbish, if the BNP lies. They (BNP) should stop lying, he said.

Criticising a comment by a BNP leader, the minister said BNP thinks that some countries will put them in power. But, the reality is that the people are the owners of the country, and they will decide who go into power, he said, adding there is no possibility to change the government without the support of the people.

About a report on democracy of an observer team from the US, "We have our own criteria of democracy. No one is perfect in the world. We also know it. A former president of the US has claimed that if he didn't get elected, bloodbaths would have happened in the country. What type of democracy is it? Even the former president didn't accept the elected president of the USA till now. So, it is difficult to understand the criteria of democracy."

Quader said military rulers and their allies were in power for 21 years in Bangladesh and there were no practices of democracy. Later, a political party had formed the government, but it is regrettably true that they also held farcical election on February 15 in the name of democracy, he said.

About the prices of essentials, the AL general secretary said the prices of some commodities have already been reduced. The government is also trying to reduce the prices of other essential commodities, he said.

AL organizing secretaries - BM Mozammel Haque and Mirza Azam, office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, deputy office secretary Sayem Khan, executive members Sahabuddin Farazi and Anisul Islam, among others, were present.