Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been sending its “final message” to the government and Bangladesh Awami League, said Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the governing party on Tuesday.
Sending the ruling party’s message in an apparent reply, the AL leader said, “The constitution is the driving force of our election. We will do what the constitution says. We will listen to the advice of friends, but we won’t budge even for an inch from the constitutional ways. This is our message.”
Obaidul Quader was speaking at an event at the University Laboratory School and College on Dhaka University campus on Tuesday afternoon.
Awami League’s sub-committee on relief and social welfare affairs organised the programme commemorating slain Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Scholarship and educational equipment were distributed from the programme.
Obaidul Quader also alleged that BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman was involved in the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his family members and the killing of four national leaders in jail on 3 November in 1975.
He also termed Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, as the mastermind of 21 August grenade attack and the subsequent deaths of AL leaders and activists.
“We did not lodge any case against Khaleda Zia, rather it was the caretaker government. She was sentenced in that case. The prime minister does not have the jurisdiction to release a convicted person as per the law. She used her executive power and allowed her (Khaleda Zia) to stay at home out of compassion, and saved her from the sufferings in jail,” said the AL general secretary.
The senior AL leader claimed that the “pocket” of Mirza Fakhrul (secretary general of BNP) is “hot” (full of money) now. “Supply is very good now. Now they are preparing the final message. I couldn’t get what they say - would we have to leave power or the world! Where did he get this message, and why is he issuing such a message?”
He stated that they (BNP) issued at least 1500 messages in the last 15 years. But no message will bring any benefit for them. No message will work as long as the people of the country are with Sheikh Hasina.
“We believe in the power of people. Our constitution is the driving force of our election. We will do what the constitution says. We will listen to the advice of friends but we won’t budge even for an inch from the Constitutional ways,” he reiterated.
“The election will be held in Bangladesh as per the constitution, I’m assuring the local and foreign friends. You ask for a free, fair and credible election. We will organise a credible, acceptable, free and fair election,” he added.
Indicating the BNP, Obaidul Quader said, “No hotel is empty now, everyone has been booked for sabotaging. Mirza Fakhrul’s pocket is hot now. Now he is taking care of cadres with that money. We are also preparing to retort any sabotage.”
“Don’t overdo anything, otherwise you’ll have to face the music,” he warned the de facto opposition leaders and activists.
Chairman of AL’s sub-committee on relief and social welfare affairs, AKM Rahmat Ullah chaired the programme, where the party’s presidium member Jahangir KAbir Nanak, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Dhaka University’s education and research institute director Abdul Halim, Laboratory School and College’s principal Selina Akhter and Bangladesh Chhatra League’s central president Saddam Hossain, among others, also addressed.