Anyone’s patronisation cannot stimulate BNP now: Quader

Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader Monday said anyone’s patronisation cannot make BNP active now.

“There is no reason to think that BNP will again create unrest at the patronisation of the United States,” he told a press conference at the AL president Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office in the capital.

Quader said Israel doesn’t pay any heed to the US President’s remarks. So, why would the Awami League government, which is elected by the people’s vote, fear them, he questioned.

Quader said US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is coming to Bangladesh to take ahead the bilateral relations.

“We will witness the implementation of the remarks which were made by US President Joe Biden in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said.

Replying to a question about BNP’s meeting with its allies, the AL general secretary said if BNP wants to go ahead politically, AL will face them politically.

If BNP leaders and workers take to the street to carry out an arson attack, they will be given a befitting reply, he said.

About BNP leaders’ claim that AL’s made massive offences and the party leaders will not get any path to flee, Quader said there is no record of fleeing in the history of AL.

In 2007, Tarique Rahman, now acting chairman of BNP, fled the country signing a written bond that he won’t do politics anymore, he said.

“Why will we flee? People are the source of strength for us. If BNP again carries out terrorist acts in the name of movement, they (BNP) will have to flee,” he said.

He said BNP made a big mistake by not taking part in the polls and they will have to suffer for that mistake.

About taking part in the upazila elections by relatives of AL MPs and ministers, Quader said if anyone violates party’s directives, organisational actions must be taken against him or her.

AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam, SM Kamal Hossain and Afjal Hossain, office secretary Biplab Barua, publicity and publications secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan were present in the press conference, among others.