DHAKA, Dec 7, 2023 (BSS) - Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the AL held a meeting with Jatiya Party over making the forthcoming national elections free, fair and peaceful.

The Jatiya Party will participate in the polls independently (alone), he said, revealing the meeting's outcomes at a press conference at AL President's Dhanmondi political office in the capital.

"The issue of seat sharing did not come up in the meeting. But, to make the election free, fair and peaceful, there was a discussion about resisting anti-election misdeeds like sabotage and sneak attacks by uniting the pro-election parties. Political talks were held in the meeting," Quader said.

He said the main agenda of this meeting was that whatever is necessary will be ensued to make the polls free, fair and peaceful. 

Assassination, sabotage and sneak attacks will be resisted in a coordinated and united manner involving the parties joining the polls, while those who are against the election will be prevented unitedly, he said.

The AL general secretary said relations are being strengthened with the parties joining the forthcoming general elections. "To this end, discussions were held with the 14-party alliance, while the main agenda of the meeting was making the elections free and fair," he said. 

Quader said: "We have discussed on the elections with all the political parties with whom we had an alliance; I mean the grand alliance. We feel the urge to strengthen our relations and cooperation with them. That is why a meeting was held with the 14-party."

He said since the elections are approaching, BNP is getting desperate to obstruct the elections. "So, the intensity of their destructive acts can be wider, while they (BNP) have set a record of the horrors of sneak attacks. Over 600 vehicles were vandalized and 10 trains were set on fire till yesterday," he added.

About the new conditions imposed by RMG importers, the AL general secretary said the United States cannot do anything unilaterally even if it wants. 

The US and European countries and friendly countries in Asia and the Pacific region are no longer willing to take any harsher decision against Bangladesh, he said.

Quader said: "We are not friendless abroad. They know how Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is holding elections to protect constitutional continuity in Bangladesh. Elections are being held so that no disorder can emerge in the country."

AL Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were, among others, present at the press conference.