BNP is out to foil next general elections: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said BNP is now involved in a deep-rooted conspiracy to foil the upcoming 12th general elections and destroy the polls environment.

“In the continuity of the past, they (BNP) want to make the elections and the electoral process questionable by standing against the democratic process. At the same time, they want to disrupt the pace of development and political stability in the country,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said elections were held in the past as per the constitution and polls will be held in the future in the same way too.

In 2014, he said, BNP men burnt many innocent people alive through arson attacks across the country aiming to foil the elections.

In the name of resisting the elections, the BNP burned more than 3,000 people alive, set over 500 polling booths and public and private institutions, including schools, on fire, killed a judge sitting in the courtroom by bomb attack, killed a lawyer, uprooted rail trucks, cut down hundreds of trees and carried out barbaric destructive acts by cutting roads, the AL general secretary said.

He said no political party can do such behaviour of vengeance on the people of its own country, while the entire world astonished at the activities of BNP.

In the 2018 elections, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, the blessed son of corruption and convicted fugitive, was engaged in nomination trade sitting in London while BNP gave nominations to some 750 people against 300 seats, Quader said.

“Today, when they (BNP leaders) threaten that they will not allow elections to be held, the country’s people clearly understand that BNP has no responsibility to the country’s people, democracy, constitution and law,’ he said.

Quader said BNP is an illegal political party as the political history of BNP is the history of anti-democratic, unconstitutional and illegal activities.

He said military dictator Ziaur Rahman seized the state power at gunpoint.

Claiming that the BNP's politics is running for power, he said the BNP has never practised the politics of public welfare and the establishment of people's rights.

That is why BNP’s politics depends on the grace of their foreign masters, the road transport minister said, adding that if BNP had minimum faith in the people, democracy and the politics of welfare, there would not have been any crisis in the democracy of this country.

He reiterated that the upcoming general elections would be held on time in line with the constitution and no evil force would be able to halt it.

“The country’s people are united against any conspiracy intending to obstruct the elections unconstitutionally and illegally. We are committed to building 'Smart Bangladesh' by keeping the journey of development, progress and prosperity smooth under the leadership of successful statesman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Quader said.

/KN/