Obaidul Quader
No transport strike during BNP’s Dhaka rally: Obaidul Quader
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader urged fromer shipping minister and transport labour leader Shajahan Khan to ensure no transport strike given during BNP’s rally in Dhaka on December 10.
He made the call while addressing the tri-annual conference of Dinajpur Awami League at Gor-e-Shaheed field in Duinapur city on Monday.
Read: BNP's rally the cue for Rajshahi transport owners to strike
He said no obstruction will be given during BNP’s rally but if any chaos occurs it will be protested.
He said the date of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) central council was changed only for the BNP rally.
Adressin BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam he said, “Come to Dinajpur and see what a rally is called. Come and see the difference between a river and sea wave as you keep speaking about people’s huge crowd in every rally,”
Read: BNP’s Sylhet rally plagued with transport strike
He said that the game will be on from next December.
“This time the game will be against corruption, against Hawa Bhaban, against vote theft, against those who have smuggled crores of taka abroad. The game will be about election, and movement. No more unfair elections will be held like February 15,” said Obaidul Quader.
PM instructed to move BCL council from Dec 8 to 6 to facilitate BNP’s Dhaka rally: Quader
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) central council has been moved to December 8 from December 6 as per Prime Minister and party president Sheikh Hasina’s instruction – to ensure that BNP can hold their Dhaka rally on December 10 without any difficulty.
Obaidul Quader said this while addressing Pirojpur Awami League’s tri-annual conference today, joining virtually from his Dhaka residence.
“The government will not obstruct BNP’s December 10 rally in Dhaka, but if they try to play with fire and sticks, they will get a befitting reply,” Quader said.
Read more: No permission given to BNP yet to hold rally at Nayapaltan: Home Minister
The minister and AL leader said that a Canadian federal court declared BNP as a “terrorist organisation”, as their politics is about arson attacks in the name of protests.
“It is not so easy to turn a man – who fled to London after signing a bond with the condition that he will not be involved in politics – into a leader,” Quader said.
Regarding BNP’s demand for a caretaker government, the AL general secretary questioned BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul: “Which country of the world has a caretaker government? It was your leader who said that no one is neutral except children and those who are mad.”
Read more: Amid relative ease, BNP’s 8th divisional rally begins in Cumilla
He said the caretaker government is now “obsolete”.
Quader also said all the hype about a “human sea” went silent after BNP’s Cumilla rally and they will see what’s what in the capital during the Dhaka rally of BNP.
BNP is the master of vindictive politics: Obaidul Quader
Claiming that Awami League does not believe in the politics of revenge, Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said BNP is the master of vindictive politics and Ziaur Rahman had started the politics of revenge in the country.
The minister made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest the national conference of Bangabandhu Sainik League at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KBI) Auditorium in the capital.
Read: BNP should apologize before using Padma Bridge: Hasan Mahmud
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said "To intimidate Sheikh Hasina will yield no result...although BNP leaders are in a defensive mood in words, an aggressive showdown remains in their hearts,".
He said it seems as if they (BNP leaders) have come to power, Hawa Bhaban is back and a victory procession will be brought on city streets.
BNP leaders threatened several times in the past that they would oust the government through movement but all went in vain, added the minister.
Read: Japanese ambassador’s comment on election ‘absolutely true’: BNP
Actually, BNP does not see any development of the government because they see the darkness of night during the daytime, he said.
He said Bangladesh will never go towards uncertainty rather BNP is moving towards uncertainty.
Dr. Abdus Sobhan Golap, AL's publicity and publication secretary and newly elected president of Bangabandhu Sainik League Harunur Rasid, among others, spoke at the conference with Sainik League convener Shirin Ahmed in the chair.
Process for obtaining driving license to be completed from home
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said starting from tomorrow, those who apply for driving license could complete the entire process from home, except appearing for the mandatory driving test.
“But the applicants have to appear at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office for a test including biometric purposes,” he said while talking to reporters after attending the 29th meeting of National Road Security Council (NRSC).
Read more: No plan for new mega projects now: Obaidul Quader
A first level pilot project under the Road Safety Programme proposed by the World Bank, involving Tk 4.80 crore, has been taken and already the Development Project Proforma (DPP) of the project was amended which will be sent to the Planning Commission soon, he said.
The purpose of the project is to reduce road accidents and loss caused by the accidents, increasing capability of the government organisations involved in ensuring road safety and achieving economic growth, he added.
Read more: Disarray in BRT project result of flawed planning: Quader
The implementation duration of the project is December 2022 to November 2027.
Man’s death not connected to AL conference in Sunamganj, Quader says
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the party’s conference held in Derai upazila of Sunamganj had no connection with the death of a man.
“He died from heart related complications. I request the media to not circulate misinformation on Awami League,” Quader said.
He made the remark to media after attending the 29th meeting of the National Road Security Council at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority headquarters in Dhaka.
Read more: Awami League is fighting to institutionalise democracy: Quader
On Monday, a 27-year-old man named Azmal Hossain Chowdhury alias Arman died and 40 people were injured in a clash between two factions of Awami League during its triennial conference in Derai upazila of Sunamganj district.
A tense situation was prevailing in the area over the conference and during the event on Monday, two factions of AL engaged in a heated argument over position on the podium set up for the conference, said Saiful Alam, officer-in-charge of Derai Police Station.
At one stage, the argument turned into a violent clash as brick chips were hurled and a chase and counter-chase took place.
Read more: One killed in AL infighting in Sunamganj
Arman was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon, said the OC.
Bangladesh will take IMF loan, but not under hard conditions, says Obaidul Quader
Bangladesh's Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Wednesday that the government will take loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but will not accept any hard conditions.
“Global crises are affecting our national life. Pressure has been created on our reserves, prices of goods are soaring. Besides, we’re also facing a shortage of dollars. That’s why we need money right now,” he told reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat.
“We’ll take loans from IMF but won’t accept any condition the execution of which will be tough for us,” Quader said.
Quader, also the General Secretary of the ruling Awami League, added that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will take part in the next general elections, no matter, what they say.
Read: Bangladesh’s forex reserves now $34.3 billion, as per IMF formula it’s $26.3 billion
“BNP has already taken preparations for the next elections. We’ve information on where they will spend money and from where the money will come. No matter, what they say, we know that they will join the elections finally,” Quader said.
Replying to a question, the Minister said that BNP’s movement is not intended for solving the crisis that the country is going through.
“The only goal of BNP is to assume power, which will be done through elections, not in any other way. In Somalia, one person is dying every 36 seconds due to hunger. But there isn’t any anti-government movement going on in that country. What BNP wants is clearly visible in their statement, which is to oust the current government,” Quader added.
Quader further said that the next general elections will be held under the current Election Commission (EC).
Read: IMF for capacity building of capital market in Bangladesh
“BNP wants an election under a caretaker government, which will never happen. The provision of a caretaker government has been repealed by the court. The current EC may have made some mistakes, which will be corrected with time. I don’t see any reason for not participating in the next election under this constitutional body,” Quader said.
Quader promises to finish BNP's movement in December
Issuing a warning, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said a game will be played in December against the misrule of BNP, vote thieves and arsonists.
“BNP failed to raise 13 minutes' movement in 13 years and the BNP leaders failed to bring out a procession for their chairperson Khaleda Zia, now they are dreaming to topple the government. They are vowing that they will hold a victory march with Khaleda Zia on December 10. If we call, BNP would not find any path to escape,” he said.
The Road Transport and Bridges Minister said this while addressing the triennial conference of Tangail district unit Awami League at Tangail Stadium on Monday.
Also read: BNP hiring people to attend their rallies: Quader
Talking about the BNP’s Barishal divisional anti-government rally, the minister said “Dubai’s money flies in the sky and they (BNP) are involved in instigating people against the government. They have no mercy on common people, they need only peacock throne that’s why they are instigating people.”
He said Ziaur Rahman awarded the killer of Bangabandhu and enacted a law to stop all ways for the trial of the killers, but now the game will be played against those involved in awarding the killers and enacting the law.
“I have learned that the BNP is agitating to regain their power. Actually, they are doing so to bring back the ‘Hawa Bhaban’. The game will be played against the evil power of Tarique Rahman,” he said.
Pointing at his BNP counterpart, Obaidul said “During the tenure of BNP we could not stay at our homes but they are sitting in air-conditioned rooms. Please wait! The people of the country will explain to you what is movement and how many types of movement and what are they?”
Also read: Declaring Nov. 3 as a national day of mourning is a matter of decision by govt’s high-ups, says Obaidul Quder
Referring to the new committee, the Awami League leader said there will be no trade over Awami League committee and the leaders will be picked as per the wish of the workers.
Govt has no connection with Tarique-Zubaida arrest warrants: Quader
Bangladesh Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that government has no connection with arrest warrants issued for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman.
“Blaming the government for anything and everything is a regular practice and culture of BNP. The court issued arrest warrants for Tarique and Zubaida in a corruption case filed by the ACC. This is a legal process; the government didn’t interfere,” he said,
He came up with the remarks at a press briefing at Setu Bhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday, a day after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the arrest warrants were issued as part of the government’s “political vengeance”.
Read: Arrest warrants issued for Tarique and Zubaida Rahman in corruption case
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also said the government has been using “false” cases as a political weapon to suppress the opposition, and creating a ground for depoliticization in the country.
Quader said that the ACC is also filing cases against many from the ruling party and investigation is on against some of them, as the ACC is playing an independent role in this regard.
In response to the BNP secretary general’s statement that the government is “nervous” about the Zia family, Quader said that everyone knows the history of misrule and corruption of Zia family.
Read: Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida: HC asks trial court to dispose of case soon
“A BNP leader is now in exile for corruption, looting and misdeeds. He doesn’t have the courage to come back to the country,” Quader said.
Bangladesh Awami League does not believe in politics of revenge but BNP is the originator of the trend, he said, and cited August 15 massacre and grenade attack as examples.
Bangladesh not facing crisis, BNP is in deep crisis: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that people of the country are not facing any trouble, rather it is BNP and its politics that are in crisis.
Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said this in a statement – protesting the statement of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Mirza Fakhrul on Monday said the nation has been facing a terrible crisis, solely due to lack of democracy. “We must overcome this crisis,” he said.
Read more: Fakhrul slams Quader for making personal attack, accuses AL of plundering public money
Fakhrul made the remark while exchanging greetings with members of the Hindu community and distinguished personalities at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
“People think that the biggest threat to the country’s independence and sovereignty is BNP,” Quader said, adding that the values of the Liberation War and democracy are not safe in the hands of BNP.
There is no crisis over democracy in Bangladesh, the crisis is in BNP’s mentality, Quader said. BNP leaders always present “artificial crisis” in their speeches, he said.
Read more: AL programmes won’t counter BNP rallies: Quader
In the statement, the AL leader expressed hope that BNP will be back on the right track through embracing the spirit of the Liberation War and democratic values.
BNP threatens movement every day but they do not know who the leader of their movement is, he also said.
Quader said that the chairperson and the acting chairman of BNP are both convicted, and Khaleda Zia is convicted for embezzling money belonging to orphans. “Bangabandhu’s daughter allowed her the opportunity to receive treatment at home on humanitarian grounds,” he added.
Sheikh Hasina must come back to save Bangladesh, says Obaidul Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said that Sheikh Hasina must return to power to save Bangladesh.
“If Sheikh Hasina loses, Bangladesh will lose,” Quader told a discussion meeting organised by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) on the premises of the central Shaheed Minar. “We cannot be defeated by the anti-liberation forces.”
The event was held to commemorate the 50th founding anniversary of the party led by Hasanul Huq Inu.
Quader called for a greater unity under the leadership of Hasina, saying that an evil force like BNP must be defeated by forging unity of the pro-liberation forces.
Also read: Fakhrul slams Quader for making personal attack, accuses AL of plundering public money
He came down heavily on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for his comment that the crowd in a recent council of the Dhaka district Awami League was thin.
“(I think) Mirza Fakhrul counted the chairs at the Dhaka district Awami League council by using binoculars from Rangpur. There were 70,000 chairs, not 22,000. I challenged,” Quader said in reference to the statement by Fakhrul who spoke at an anti-government rally in Rangpur on the same day of the AL council in Dhaka.
“I want to tell Mirza Fakhrul, we are united under the 14-party alliance. To save Bangladesh, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina must be in power," he said.
He said that BNP did not protest for even 13 minutes over last 13 years.
“Now, Fakhrul wants to protest (against us). We know where the root of this (anti-government) movement is,” he said.
Also read: ‘BNP will swallow the entire country if it returns to power’ ‘BNP will swallow the entire country if it returns to power’
Quader said that BNP’s dream of toppling down the government on December 10 and returning to power would not succeed. BNP has set December 10 to hold a massive anti-government rally in Dhaka through which the opposition party wants to knock the government down. Some BNP leaders even warned that after December 10 the country will be run by BNP.
Quader said they know some secrets behind the ongoing movement.
"We have received information that the money (being spent by BNP in the movement) is coming from Dubai," Quader said.