DHAKA, Dec 3, 2023 (BSS) - Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader toady said BNP is afraid of joining polls after failing in political movement.

 "BNP is afraid of joining polls after failing in political movement. Now, a BNP leader suddenly is giving statements without appearing in public. They (BNP) are not finding party workers for carrying out sneak attacks. They are committing misdeeds through hired people," he told a press conference at AL president's Dhanmondi political office here this afternoon.

Asking BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman to return home if he has the courage, Quader said: "If you want to do politics and if you have the courage, come to the field of politics. We have a political party. You are our opponent but we never consider you as enemy. We never hatch conspiracy."

He said the AL does not believe in the politics of killing and conspiracy. "Why are you (Tarique) not coming to the country if you have the courage? You will lead the movement in Bangladesh sitting in London! You will lose party leaders and workers within a few days because of your wrong politics," he added.

Pointing out that BNP is following the path of terrorism by deviating from normal politics, the AL general secretary said BNP men have so far burnt and vandalised over 200 vehicles in the country.

He said BNP leaders consider the country's people as enemies if they do not support BNP's destructive politics.
 
"Their brutality is ruthless. When the elections approach, a vested quarter starts hatching plots. This quarter, isolated from people, tries to grab the state power through the backdoor sensing its defeat in elections," he said.

The AL general secretary said many in BNP want to get out of this negative politics.
 
These BNP leaders do not want to cause harm to them by getting involved in BNP's negative politics and they want to come to the polls, he added.
 
Those, who are joining the polls rejecting the BNP's politics, have returned to healthy politics and they are welcomed, Quader said, adding: "We believe many more BNP leaders will come out of BNP's politics and join the healthy politics".

Responding to a question, he said a total of 28 registered parties are participating in the elections. Now BNP does not have 32 or 54 allies and many have started coming out of their politics.

Lauding the steps of the Election Commission (EC), the AL general secretary said the EC's measures related to the discipline or transfer of government officials and employees are not being taken by the government. Everything is being done by the EC, he added.

AL Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam and Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Aminul Islam Amin, Education and Human Resource Affairs Secretary Shamsun Nahar Chapa, Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan and Executive Member Sahabuddin Faraji were, among others, present.