No way to restore caretaker government by amending constitution: Quader

Ruling Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday outright rejected any possibility of restoring “the obsolete caretaker government system” by amending the country’s constitution, reports news agency BSS.

“The caretaker government will not return. No matter whatever efforts you make, the government will stick to the constitution,” he said while speaking at the unwrapping ceremony of a book titled ‘Deshnetri Sheikh Hasinar Swarna Jug’ at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The book is written by Rowshan Ara Mannan, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and an MP of Jatiya Party, the opposition in parliament.

The book is about the “significant development activities carried out during the tenures of the government of Sheikh Hasina”.

Speaking on the occasion, Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, reiterated that there is no chance of changing the state power without elections. “If you want to change power, there is no alternative to participating in the elections.”

About the allegations of opposition BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) against the government, the AL general secretary said the claim of lodging cases against 5 million BNP leaders and workers is unreasonable, fabricated and false.

“Those are the stories of BNP’s falsehood ... they even don’t have so many leaders and workers,” he said.

When the BNP was in power, it tortured hundreds of AL leaders and activists and filed cases against them, he said.

Quader said even the AL leaders and activists could not participate in mother’s funeral or Eid prayers.

“Before election, 500 schools were burned, land offices were set on fire and people were burned alive. What horrible days those were! How cruel BNP is!” he exclaimed.

The AL general secretary said the talk of democracy does not suit the BNP which killed democracy. There is no democracy in the BNP and everyone knows who introduced the vote rigging and the “Yes-No vote”, he said.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a successful leader in the past 14 years.

Sheikh Hasina, the modern architect of political changeover, stands on the ruins and thinks of creation, Quader said, adding that Sheikh Hasina does not think about the next (12th) general election but thinks of giving a beautiful country to the next generation.

Bangladesh’s democracy was unchained and the war criminals, Bangabandhu’s killers and those involved in jail killings were brought to justice, as Sheikh Hasina returned home after overcoming obstacles, he said.

During the AL regime, the election commission was formed first in the country following the law, Quader said.

He said the Awami League government is gradually making the country’s democracy and electoral system flawless.

Chaired by Rowshan Ara Mannan, MP, the function was attended, among others, by Marina Jahan, MP, Gazi Mohammad Shahnawaz, MP, Zakia Tabassum, MP, and journalist Feroz Alam.