Obaidul Quader: If BNP comes to power darkness will befall the country

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that if the BNP comes to power, darkness will befall the country again, and that is why the ruling party must be re-elected.

Addressing a party rally at Chakaria Shahid Abdul Hamid bus terminal in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday evening, he said: “BNP has not been able to unite with any party. No other parties want to align with them because the BNP leaders have become drowsy.”

Chakaria Upazila Awami League President and Chairman of the Upazila Parishad Alhaj Zafar Alam presided over the meeting.

Awami League Central Committee Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif, Organizing Secretary AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naofel, spoke at the meeting along with other central and district leaders of the Awami League.

A delegation led by Obaidul reached Cox's Bazar on Saturday after attending party-organized programs in Comilla and Chittagong,in an effort to reach the common people and highlight the development projects undertaken by the government before the upcoming general election.

Obaidul, also the road transport and bridges minister, said: “The BNP had used the recent student movement to establish their agenda. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accepted the demands of the students and got them return to their educational institutions.”

Referring to the recently formed Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, he said: "According to a survey conducted by a foreign organization, around 66% of the people still favour and support Sheikh Hasina. Therefore, there cannot be a national unity withoutthat 66%.

“The call for national unity spearheaded by Juktofront is not a national unity; rather it is a nationalistic communal unity."

Earlierin the day, the Awami League delegation had joined separate public meetings at Chittagong’s Karnaphuli upazila and at the Meherunnesa Government Primary School ground in Lohagara upazila’s Chunati.

'People now focusing on election, not movement'

Around 11am on Sunday, Obaidul Quader also told a street rally at SR Square in the Karnaphuli upazila that the BNP could not take to the streets even for 10 days in recent times.

“What movement are they [BNP] going to launch in one month? Also, now is the time to campaign.People have their focus in the upcoming election, they are not in the mood for any movement,” he added.

Taking a swipe at the Chittagong-basedBNP leaders, he said: "BNP did not do anything good for the country. On what basis will they ask for vote from the people of Chittagong? BNP leaders from Chittagong only talk tall without doing any work."

"We have won in Gazipur and Khulna city corporations. Cox's Bazar is a stronghold of the Awami League. The party’s success in the upcoming general election will be ensured only if we remain united. Please iron out all differences," Obaidul told the local ruling party leaders and activists.

The Awami League leaders had also flown to Sylhet on August 30 and travelled to the northern parts of the country by train on September 8 as part of their election campaign.

The Election Commission plans to hold the 11th general election in the last week of December.