Quader: BNP directly, indirectly involved in Hefazat mayhem

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said it is now known to all that BNP was directly and indirectly involved with the mayhem carried out by Hefazat-e-Islam during the celebration of golden jubilee of independence and Bangabandhu’s birth centenary.

“BNP not only patronized the recent mayhem of Hefazat-e-Islam, rather it was involved with the violent acts,” he said while addressing a view-exchange with BRTC and BRTA Rajshahi Zone officials.

Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, joined the meeting virtually from his official residence in Dhaka.

He said those who were involved with the mayhem and who carried out attacks on houses, properties and set houses on fire are being arrested after scrutinizing video-footage.

Arrests were not made targeting any party or Alem-Ulama, he said.

About BNP leaders’ remarks that the government has become isolated from people, Quader said BNP is making such ridiculous comments to hide the sorrow of their continuous failures over the last 13 years.

Actually it is not the government, rather BNP which has been boycotted by the people and has become isolated from them, he said.

Mentioning that BNP has been calling for movement throughout an era, Quader said BNP has not only failed in movement but also their disgraceful defeat in national, local government and by-elections proved that they have become isolated from the people.

Quader said making negative political comments and blaming one another during the coronavirus crisis is not sensible.

But they have to reply to BNP’s regular falsehood and blind criticism, he mentioned.

He said the party which has been walking on the undemocratic path since its inception has now turned into the “peddler” of democracy.

BNP’s democracy means voter-less election of February 15, by-election of Magura and Dhaka-10 and making a list of 12.3 million fake voters, he said.

'BNP an obstruction to democracy'

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is taking ahead the country on the path of democracy as the government is very sincere to give an institutional shape to democracy overcoming all odds.

“But BNP is a big obstacle on this path. Because of their obstacles, the smooth journey of democracy gets disrupted again and again,” he said.

Turning to the subject of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) services, he asked the concerned authorities to make the institution friendly to service recipients.

Though public sufferings in receiving services from the institution have lessened compared to previous times, there are still allegations in some areas, he said, adding that all kinds of flaws should be rectified.

He asked the concerned authorities to take ahead the ongoing works of different under-construction projects before the monsoon season.