BNP has nothing to do except wait for the next 5 years: Obaidul Quader

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have failed once again as the people have foiled all of their conspiracies through balloting, said governing Bangladesh Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader Monday.

He also advised the key opposition to wait for another five years as the party “has nothing to do now after boycotting the parliamentary elections repeatedly”.

Quader said this while addressing a media briefing at the party’s Dhaka district headquarters in the capital’s Tejgaon area in the afternoon.

The AL senior leader termed all the allegations of BNP as devoid of reality, baseless and figment of their imagination.

“BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan appeared before the journalists this morning too with a basket full of lies. Telling such lies is responsible for this miserable consequence of the BNP. People have responded with ballots to the lies of the neo-Goebbels. BNP has turned into an ineffective and failed political party due to following wrong policies.”

Coming down hard on BNP, the only political party in Bangladesh that can pose an effective challenge to the governing party, Obaidul Quader claimed that people of this country have shown BNP and Jamaat that it was not possible to get the people’s verdict in their favour by doing ill-politics. “Arson terrorism and democracy cannot go together - voters’ participation in this election proved the point.”

The AL general secretary also had some advice for the BNP. “We would say to the BNP, do politics by accepting the truth; follow the basic principles of democracy; shun unconstitutional politics. Otherwise you will be thrown into the ash heap of history.”

Quader also mentioned that various countries have been congratulating prime minister Sheikh Hasina for winning the 12th parliamentary elections. “The ambassadors of India, Russia, China, Bhutan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and other countries met Sheikh Hasina this morning. They conveyed congratulatory messages to Sheikh Hasina from their countries.”

The AL general secretary stated that various organisations, institutions and the media, foreign journalists and observers monitored the election. “They have expressed their satisfaction.”

Quader also claimed that the 12th parliamentary elections will remain as a milepost in the democracy  in Bangladesh and will make the country’s global footprint stronger.”

When the Awami League general secretary was asked who would be the Opposition in the new parliament, he said, “The new prime minister will make this decision considering the reality and the situation.”

He was also asked questions on the independent candidates in the media briefing. Obaidul Quader said, “The independent candidates are the people’s representatives and will sit in parliament as elected MPs. They will play pro-people roles.”

Responding to a question of another journalist, the AL general secretary said, “The country does not run on what the BNP says. BNP could not topple the government through its movement. They also said the election will not be allowed to be held. Not only this, they said they would prevent the election as well. Could they implement anything of what they said?”