AL defeat to lead to bloodshed: Quader

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League’s general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday warned that his party has no alternative to victory in the 30 December parliamentary elections.

The opposition, on the other hand, alleged that the AL camp planned to rig the polls by using the administration and the election commission.

“Our defeat will bring darkness. Our defeat will lead to bloodshed across the country,” he told a joint meeting of AL associate body Sechchasebak League at the AL’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.

The ruling camp leaders have time and again mentioned that the country might witness bloodshed if the AL and its allies are defeated in the elections.

“We’ve seen corruption, violence and bloodshed caused by our opponent in 2001 and 2014 respectively. Do we want to go back to the darkness of that period? We don’t. So we have to remain united,” Quader told his partymen.

He asked them to be aware of the opposition forces. “They have a big arm of conspiracy and they can unleash violence and sabotage,” he cautioned.

“The opposition (BNP) has started violence. After the announcement of the election schedule, they carried out violence at Naya Paltan. Those who can do it have tried to hatch conspiracies at home and abroad,” Quader said.

The AL leader said Gano Forum president Kamal Hossain has surrendered to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) through formation of the Jatiya Oikya Jote.

“Kamal Hossain is not a leader now and he is not contesting polls,” Quader said adding the leader of the BNP is Tarique Rahman, who, he added, is a fugitive and convicted person.

“What a shame it is! Kamal Hossain, Kader Siddique, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Mostofa Mahsin Montu are dictated by Tarique Rahman. What a helpless surrender of these people to a corrupt and killer”, Quader said.

He went on to say, “They will guard the polling stations. We will protect the voting centres too.”

Criticising BNP secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s statement that the AL will be defeated utterly, the AL general secretary said, “Mirza Fakhrul doesn’t want to give Awami League more than 30 seats. They got 29 seats in 2008. Staying in power, we didn’t utter such a statement that we would give a little number of seats to our opponent.”