GM Quader should clarify who put pressure on them to contest elections: Quader

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) should be ashamed of the Pakistani prime minister’s remarks over the development of Bangladesh, said governing Bangladesh Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader Sunday.

“BNP leaders cannot witness the country’s development as they put on black glasses,” he said after paying tributes to Shaheed Sheikh Jamal by placing wreaths at his grave at Banani graveyard on his 71st birthday.

Alleging that the BNP has friendship with Pakistan, Quader said though Pakistan can see Bangladesh progress, the BNP can’t do so.

He said once Pakistan considered Bangladesh as its burden but now they feel ashamed looking at Bangladesh.

In response to a comment of Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader that there was pressure on the party to take part in the 12th parliamentary elections, the AL general secretary said Jatiya Party was born down the barrel of a gun and it was not born in a democratic way.

Quader further stated that 42 per cent people cast their votes in the elections and there was no incident of killing on the day of voting.

“We didn’t feel any pressure here,” he said.

GM Quader himself should clear under whose pressure and why they took part in the elections, he said.

The minister further said 15 August 1975 carnage was perpetrated to eliminate the family of Bangabandhu from Bangladesh forever.

He said the “Mostaq-Zia clique” patronised the killers. With the assassination of Bangabandhu, the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy began in the country, he remarked.

After returning home, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina stopped the politics of coup and conspiracy and introduced the trend of development and progress, said Quader.

The country’s development spree is being continued amid the stable situation with the continuation of the Awami League government, he said.

At first, on behalf of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader paid tributes to Sheikh Jamal by placing a wreath at his grave. Later, on behalf of the AL, he laid another wreath to Jamal’s grave.

AL presidium member Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel Haque, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan, Afjal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, publicity and publications secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan were present.