Vested quarter tarnishing country’s image abroad, weakening position of expatriates: Quader

Ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) cannot see any positive efforts of the government as the party is stuck in press briefing-based negative politics, reports news agency BSS.

“BNP cannot see any positive efforts of the government. They are moving around the circle of making false statements and criticism. Their politics remains stuck in press briefing-based negativity,” he said.

Quader, also minister for road transport and bridges, was addressing a meeting on present situation of Bangladesh organised by All European unit of AL. He joined it through videoconferencing from his official residence in the capital.

He said a vested quarter is out to continuously spread falsehood and propaganda at home and abroad against the government and thus the clique is tarnishing the country’s image abroad and weakening the position of Bangladeshi expatriates.

Recent comments of a leader of Italy unit of BNP created annoyance among the Bangladeshi expatriates in that country, he added.

About the expatriates, the minister said though they stay abroad, Bangladesh remains in their hearts so that good news of the country brings joy to them and negative news hurts them.

Recalling the month of mourning, Quader said the nation had lost the greatest Bangalee of all times and architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members in this month of August in 1975.

The mourning month, August, carries the meaning of grief of losing, ecstasy of perpetrators and smell of conspiracy to the Bangalee nation, he added.

Quader said in continuation of the 15 August carnage, gruesome grenade attacks were carried out on AL rally to assassinate Bangabandhu’s daughter the leader of the opposition and AL president Sheikh Hasina on 21 August 2004.

Bangabandhu was the prime target of 15 August carnage while his daughter Sheikh Hasina was the key target of 21 August grenade attack, he said, adding that the plotters of the evil designs never get lost rather they change their faces.

The minister urged all to remain alert against conspiracies as the perpetrators are still continuing their evil attempts against the country’s development and progress.

He called upon all Bangladeshi expatriates to remain united and vocal against the propaganda carried out against the Sheikh Hasina’s government and showcase the positive efforts and achievements of the government before the world.

Quader said the AL is an extended family, so everyone of that family wherever they stay either at home or aboard, are intertwined in integral relations as like as a chain of thread.

“Whenever we stay either at home or abroad for our livelihood, we hold the red-green mapped Bangladesh in our hearts,” he said.

The minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the ideological shelter and his successor of blood and ideology prime minister Sheikh Hasina is the lighthouse of confidence to the nation.

Quader urged the leaders and workers of the AL units abroad to build a strong unity among them shunning trifling internal odds if they have to strengthen the hands of Sheikh Hasina.

AL All European unit president N Nazrul Islam and general secretary Mujibur Rahman addressed the discussion, among others.