GM Quader
Bangabandhu will always encourage to fight against misrule,oppression, says GM Quader
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will always encourage the nation to fight against corruption, misrule and oppression, said Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader in a statement marking the National Mourning Day.
“Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had fought for the establishment of democracy and human rights throughout his life,” according to the statement issued on Sunday.
Read:GM Quader calls for white paper on corruption in the energy sector
“We pay our respect to late president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on this mourning day.”
The party also prayed seeking the eternal peace of the departed souls of the August 15 carnage.
“Our pledge on this mourning day is that we will build a ‘New Bangladesh’ by building a welfare state free from hunger, poverty, corruption and discrimination.”
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the architect of the country’s independence -- was assassinated along with most of his family members at the dawn on August 15, 1975 by a cabal of army personnel under a deep-rooted conspiracy against the country and its independence.
Passenger bus hit vehicle carrying GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday suffered some pain in his body as a passenger bus hit the government vehicle carrying him.
He is now resting at his residence as per his doctor's advice, said the Jatiya Party Chairman’s press secretary (2) Khandaker Deloar Jalali.
Read: GM Quader calls for white paper on corruption in the energy sector
He said the accident occurred on the road adjacent to Le Meridien Hotel in the capital’s Khilkhet area on the way back to his Uttara residence from Jatiya Party Chairman's Banani office at around 5 pm.
Jalali said GM, Quader also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, took necessary medicine as per doctor's advice after dinner.
“He is feeling some pain in his body. He has no symptoms other than body pain,” the press secretary added.
He said GM Quader urged the country’s people to pray for him.
Meanwhile, police seized the bus and arrested its driver.
Jatiya Party leaders and workers have called upon the authorities concerned to take legal action against the driver after an investigation into the incident, said a party press release.
GM Quader calls for white paper on corruption in the energy sector
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Friday demanded that a white paper on corruption in the energy sector be published.
“The people of the country want to know how many thousands of crores of takas of corruption have been committed in the energy sector every year. Who are involved in the corruption?” he said.
Speaking at the council Jatiya Party’s Mirpur and Shahali Thana units at the Eidgah Ground on National Zoo Road in the capital's Mirpur area, GM Quader also said a list of those involved in the corruption should be published to bring them to justice.
He said they also want to know the list of those who are siphoning off thousands of crores of takas abroad every year. The money launderers should be brought to justice.”
The Jatiya Party chief alleged that Tk4 lakh crores were deposited from Bangladesh to Swiss banks last year. “The government is putting itself under questions by not disclosing the money launderers’ information.”
Read:Govt hardly cares about public sufferings: GM Quader
He accused the government of favouring the offenders by not taking action against the corrupt and money launderers.
“The common people think that the current government is not disclosing the information of corruption to save the influential persons and the ruling party leaders,” the Jatiya Party chairman observed.
He said that some ruling party leaders look for conspiracy even if Jatiya Party talks about the interests of the country.
“As we said, the country is going to be a failed state like Sri Lanka, we’re called fools. But why is the entire country now facing loadshedding? Why has the price of the dollar increased so much? Why has the price of fuel increased so much?” GM Quader said.
Govt hardly cares about public sufferings: GM Quader
Describing the current government as an anti-people one, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Thursday said it is now least bothered about public sufferings.
“The government has completely failed to run the country. It has mounted public sufferings by increasing the prices of fuel,” he said.
Speaking at a programme at Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader said the government could avoid hiking the fuel prices by withdrawing VAT and tax on oil and adjusting the profit it made on fuel oil in the previous years.
“The government that makes a profit by raising the fuel prices without considering public sufferings can’t be a government of the people. The anti-people government does not understand the sufferings of people,” he observed.
Read: Scope for politics gets limited: GM Quader
The Jatiya Party chief alleged that the government is making profits in various ways and indulging in looting in the name of development and the implementation of mega projects.
He also said the government is keeping the profit money earned by different state-run institutions in banks while a quarter is siphoning off that money abroad by taking loans on various excuses.
“One person‘s rule has been established in the country in the name of the republic. The country is now facing autocratic rule in the name of democracy. In the name of development, the tide of bribery and corruption is flowing in the country, the Jatiya Party chairman observed.
At the programme, former MP Golam Rabbani joined the Jatiya Party by presenting a bouquet to GM Quader.
Fuel price hike may push economy into dire consequences: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday described the government’s decision to hike fuel prices by more than 51 percent as "cruel" and "unprecedented".
“Such an increase in the fuel prices will create a great disaster in public lives while the country’s economy will move towards dire consequences,” he warned in a statement.
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said this move has manifested that the government has no sympathy for the people of the country.
At a time when fuel prices are on a downward trend across the world, the Jatiya Party chief said the government has increased the oil prices.
Read: Hamid looking to send load shedding back to museum by August-end
“The price of benchmark crude oil has decreased by 29 to 30 percent in the last four to five months at different places in the world. The US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil prices fell below $89 a barrel that rose to $124 dollars last March,” he observed.
Stating that international benchmark Brent crude is now being sold at $94 per barrel, the Jatiya Party Chairman said, while the prices of fuel oil have started falling all over the world, the rise in oil prices in the country has disappointed people from all walks of life.
GM Quader feared that the transportation cost will go up following the hike in fuel prices while the price of daily essentials will increase manifold.
Besides, he said the production cost of domestic products will increase and their price will also push up, inviting a disaster in the export industry.
Under the circumstances, the Jatiya Party chief urged the government to reconsider the 'anti-people' decision to hike fuel prices.
Scope for politics gets limited: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Wednesday bemoaned that the atmosphere for doing politics in Bangladesh has now become limited.
“There’s no politics in the country… the people’s freedom of expression has also been squeezed. It is a great threat to democratic practice,” he said.
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, was speaking at a meeting with ex-leaders of Chhatra Samaj at the Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office.
He said their party has been working for establishing people's freedom of speech and the freedom of individuals. “We are doing politics to ensure the voting rights of the mass people.”
Read: Bangladesh can become bankrupt due to debt liability: GM Quader
Stating that people’s right to elect the representatives of their choice through elections has been snatched, the Jatiya Party chief said their party will carry out a movement to establish the rights of all people.
Former student leaders M Helal Uddin, Anwar Hossain Tomar, Humayun Khan, Delwar Hossain Khan Milon, Faisal Didar Dipu, Jatiya Party central executive committee member Shamim Ahmed Rajib, AKM Sajjad Parvez, Rezaur Razi Swapan Chowdhury and Rakib Khan, among others, were present at the meeting
Rail crossings become death traps: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday urged the government to take steps to make the coiuntry's railways safe as the level crossings have become death traps.
“As if the railway crossings of the country have become death traps. Although travel through railways is considered safe across the world, it is becoming a matter of worry in Bangladesh,” he said.
In a statement, the Jatiya Party chief also bemoaned that the railways in Bangladesh have not been safe even after 50 years of its independence.
Also read: Establishing people’s voting rights crucial for democracy: GM Quader
Referring to media reports, he said about 82 per cent of the railway crossings in the country are unprotected. “All these unprotected level crossings have no guards and barriers.”
Besides, the Jatiya Party chairman said there is no end to negligence even though there are guards and barriers at 18 railway crossings.
“So, accidents happen every day and many people die every year. There is no one to see the negligence and mismanagement of the railways,” he observed.
Also read: EC praising merits of EVMs with ‘ulterior motive’: GM Quader
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said though an investigation committee is formed after every accident, the people of the country cannot know the probe report. “No one can even know what measures the government is taking to prevent accidents.”
He said such deaths on the railways cannot be accepted. “Railway accidents in modern times expose how far behind we are. It has become necessary to take prroper measures now to secure the railways of the country.”
Earlier on Friday, 11 people were killed and six others injured when a speeding express train rammed into the microbus carrying students on an excursion at a level crossing in Mirsharai upazila on Friday.
Establishing people’s voting rights crucial for democracy: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday said it is crucial to establish the voting rights of the people for ensuring democracy and good governance in the country.
“Voting is the gateway to democracy. If voting rights are not ensured, democracy is not guaranteed while good governance remains elusive,” he said.
Speaking at a programme of Chandpur district unit Jatiya Jubo Sanghati at Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader also said the accountability of the government and human rights are not established if voting rights are not ensured.
Read: CEC: Army may be called out for next parliamentary polls
“So, it is important to establish the voting rights of the people of the country,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief also said the people in Bangladesh are eagerly waiting for a free, fair and impartial election.
The leaders of the Jatiya Jubo Sanghati greeted GM Quader with a bouquet at the programme.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu and praesidium members Mir Abdus Sabur Asud and Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan were, among others present.
EC praising merits of EVMs with ‘ulterior motive’: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has been repeatedly highlighting the merits of EVMs with an ‘ulterior motive’ when most political parties are against its use in the national election.
“During the talks with the Election Commission, around 80 percent of the political parties expressed their opinions against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). But the EC is repeatedly holding meetings and describing the merits of the EVMs tactfully,” he said.
GM, Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said the EC should understand that the country’s people will not accept any rigged elections.
He made the remarks while speaking at a meeting with the party presidium members and MPs at the Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office auditorium.
Read: Accept election-time govt demand or face ouster: Fakhrul to AL
The Jatiya Party chief said when different countries of the world are abandoning the EVMs then the EC in Bangladesh starts praising the machines. “This is causing confusion in public mind. “
He said many voters in the country cast their votes seeing the election symbol during the election as they cannot read the name of the candidates.
In such a reality, GM Quader said the common people think there’s an evil intention behind the EC’s efforts to hold elections using the EVMs.
He also said some political leaders feel talking about fair elections means hurling abuses at them. “In fact, we need to change our political culture.”
The Jatiya Party chief said the people of the country no longer want any flawed and name-only elections. “They want to elect the representatives of their choice through fair elections.”
He alleged that Awami League and BNP have initiated the politics of vengeance instead of doing politics in the interests of people of the country since Jatiya Party founder HM Ershad handed over power in 1990.
GM Quader also said the two parties made the election a matter of violence though once it was like a festival to people. “So now the election is like a war. The party which will be defeated in the national election can be wiped out. It’ll be difficult to protect the existence of the defeated party. It can’t be a political culture.”
Defeated party in next JS polls may get eliminated from politics: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday feared that the losers in the next national elections may get wiped out because of the prevailing political reality in the country.
“The political leaders of the country are responsible for such a political reality,” he said.
Speaking at a views-exchange meeting of Dhaka south city unit Jatiya Party and its chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader said the governments change and new governments are formed peacefully in different countries of the world.
“If someone in the government resigns, it is fulfilled through peaceful voting. But the reality is different in our country,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief said the election is like a war in Bangladesh, where those who lose have to be annihilated. “The liberation war was not waged for such a Bangladesh. Heroic martyrs did not sacrifice their lives for this Bangladesh.”
He alleged that the ownership of the country has been snatched from the people. “The real ownership of the country belongs to people and their elected representatives will run the country based on public opinion.”
Read: CEC says sorry for his rifle for sword remarks
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, bemoaned that the common people have once again become like the subjects of the colonial period losing their ownership of the country.
Stating that the reality of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is very similar, he said Sri Lanka had not gone bankrupt even after ten years of civil war. “But Sri Lanka has now become bankrupt through undertaking economically unviable and unplanned mega projects and repaying foreign debt with interest by its imprudent and unaccountable government.”
GM Quader said there are some similarities between the current situation in Bangladesh and that of Sri Lanka.
He said there are allegations that mega projects cost too much in Bangladesh due to alleged plundering. “As a result, it may become impossible to repay the loan with the income of those projects.”
Referring to experts’ views, the Jatiya Party chief said the economic situation of the country may turn dire when it will have to pay the foreign debts with interests.