AL’s counter-programmes to create ‘mental obstacles’ for BNP: Quader
Governing Bangladesh Awami League adopts counter-programmes to create “mental barriers” for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said the AL general secretary Obaidul Quader Wednesday.
“If we stay on the streets, they (BNP) would feel an obstacle mentally for committing arson-terrorism. That is why we do this. We have been organising peace rallies and they have been organising their protest rallies,” he stated.
The ruling party leader was addressing a media conference at AL’s Dhanmondi office.
The Awami League has been organising counter-programmes if the BNP convenes any programmes from before the last parliamentary elections.
For a long time, Obaidul Quader maintained that they were staging “peace and development rallies”, not any counter-programmes of the BNP.
He, however, today acknowledged that they organised their rallies as counter-programmes of that of the BNP.
“If the BNP organises any rally unilaterally, they commit ‘arson-terrorism’. As a governing party we have responsibilities to protect the lives and properties of the people,” Obaidul Quader told the conference.
In response to queries, the Awami League general secretary said, “How many rallies did the BNP and we oraganised on the same date? Are we, as a political party, going to engage in any conflicts? Did we, as the ruling party, carry out any attacks on their rallies? Then what is the problem?”
He later clarified, “We have held our rallies and they have done theirs. It was the scenario before the election.”
A journalist asked if there is any fear that the BNP may occupy the streets. He, in response, said the election is now over, and those who boycotted the polls and dreamt of preventing the voting found their dreams perished.
He also reminded that the opposition block even dreamt that the Awami League will not be able to form a government, and if it manages to do so, the government will fall within five days.
News agency BSS adds: AL general secretary Obaidul Quader Wednesday said necessary actions will be taken if the relatives of ruling party lawmakers and ministers participate in the upazila polls, ignoring the party decision.
“Ministers and MPs will face the music if their relatives participate in the upcoming upazila election ignoring the party decision,” he told a press briefing at the AL president’s Dhanmondi political office.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said there are scopes for the candidates to withdraw their candidacy till the last day before holding the election and that is why it is possible for them to withdraw their candidacy even after the election commission’s official date of withdrawing candidature.
“So, the party will wait till the last date. If anyone violates the party decision, organisational action will be taken against him or her in time,” he said.
About the disciplinary action of the party, the AL general secretary said: “There is the issue of taking disciplinary action in our party and the AL enforced it at different times in the past considering the activities of the party men.”
But, he said, the AL will take a decision in time if the relatives of the ministers and lawmakers do not finally withdraw their candidacy.
Responding to a query whether the candidates who would take part in the polls will face actions from the party, Quader said general mercy is a strategy of the AL in particular situations, but it totally depends on the AL president.
Talking about the AL’s rallies announced to be held on the same day of BNP’s programmes, he said the AL in fact holds rallies to protect the lives and properties of the country’s people from the terrorist acts of the BNP.
AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries BM Mozammel Huque, SM Kamal Hossain, Mirza Azam, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Shawpan and Sujit Roy Nandi, cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil, relief and social welfare secretary Aminul Islam Amin and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan were, among others, present at the press briefing.