It doesn’t matter which union or country issues statements: Obaidul Quader

It does not matter whichever country issues statements regarding the political situation in Bangladesh, said governing Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday.

“It matters a little to us whichever union, whichever country issues statements. What kind of democracy is this that I can’t bring to book the criminals of my country under the laws of my country? What’s the source of such emotion?” he remarked.

Obaidul Quader was speaking at a discussion, organised by the Dhaka South City unit of the Awami League, in front of the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital in the afternoon.

Awami League marks 7 November as ‘Freedom Fighter Soldier Killing Day’.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, at the rally, said, “Can’t I send criminals and killers from my country to jail? Can’t I send them to jail? The court is there. If he is safe (sic), he can seek acquittal from the court. We have an independent judiciary.”

Earlier on Monday, speaking about a statement of the European Union, Obaidul Quader said there is an information gap. The EU in the statement said 8,000 leaders and activists of the opposition parties have been arrested. The EU also expressed its concerns in this regard.

Saying that they have been taking care so that no innocent people face harassment, the senior AL leader said he talked to the home minister. No people should face harassment except criminals. This brings disgrace, why would the government bear this disgrace? He added.

Speaking about BNP’s decision to postpone marking 7 November, Quader said, “Today I want to ask the question, whose day is 7 November? What is this day? Is it a national day? This party (BNP) postponed its national day programme. The cowards like them don’t deserve to do politics. Those who fear to mark their party’s national day speak about annihilating the Awami League.”

BNP itself is enough to annihilate the party, he remarked.

Claiming that “BNP has fallen”, the AL general secretary said, “They wanted to overthrow the government on 28 October. But they had fallen that day.”

He alleged that Ziaur Rahman had introduced the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy in the country, while his successors Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman introduced arson terrorism.

Addressing the programme, AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak said those who are involved in arson-terrorism, have to be burned in fire. Law and order situation has to be upheld by beating them, he added.

AL organising secretary Mirza Azam at the programme said those who kill people face this fate. They enforce blockade by setting fire to a few vehicles across the country in the evening and announce the party programmes in videos like IS (Islamic State).

Chaired by Dhaka South City AL president Abu Ahmed Mannafi and moderated by its general secretary Humayun Kabir, the meeting was addressed, among others, by joint general secretary Dipu Moni.

Though the programme was organised to mark 7 November, the discussion turned into a grand rally due to the presence of leaders and activists of Dhaka South City AL and its associate bodies.

A traffic jam was created in and around Bangabandhu Avenue in Gulistan due to the processions of the leaders and activists.