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DHAKA, June 10, 2022 (BSS) - Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader today said carrying out looting and falsehood is the inherent nature of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

He said this while addressing a conference of Darussalam Thana and wards 9 and 10 units of Dhaka North City Awami League held on the premises of Shaheed Buddhijibi Smriti Soudha (martyred intellectuals' memorial) in the capital.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, announced the largest national budget in the country's history and that is why the BNP leaders, including its general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alaimgir, get frustrated.

"If there was a Nobel Prize for falsehood and looting money, the BNP secretary general would have been awarded with it," he added.

"Is the construction of various mega projects, including Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, Elevated Expressway, Karnaphuli Tunnel, a crime for Sheikh Hasina?" the AL general secretary questioned to Fakhrul.

About the BNP's demand of neutral government during the next general elections, he said once BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia stated that there was no neutral person except the children and the mad.

"So, does BNP want to form a neutral government comprising children and crazy ones?" he asked.

Calling upon the AL men to remain alert to prevent any untoward situation, Quader alleged that fugitive convicted Tarique Rahman has been conspiring to create sabotage in the country by siphoning off money to the BNP leaders from London.

Noting that the tested AL leaders must be protected aiming to save the party, he said the more organised and strengthened AL will take part in the next general elections under its president Sheikh Hasina.

Stressing the need for attaching honest and efficient people to the party, the AL general secretary said there is no shortage of good people in the AL so there is no need to keep dishonest people in the party.

About the Padma Bridge, he said the country's people are in a jolly mood after hearing that the Padma Bridge is going to be inaugurated but the BNP leaders are suffering from inner pains.

AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretary Mirza Azam, Dhaka North City AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and its general secretary SM Mannan Kochi, Dhaka North City AL organising secretary Mizanur Rahman Mizan and Aga Khan Mintu, MP, among others, spoke at the conference with Darussalam Thana AL president ABM Mazharul Anam in the chair.

Meanwhile, Quader attended a protest rally of the Dhaka South City Unit of Awami League at the Engineers' Institution gate in Suhrawardy Udyan this afternoon in protest of the death threat against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking on the occasion, he urged all not to make any derogatory remarks against Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Awami League Presidium Members Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Bir Bikram and Kamrul Islam, Joint General Secretaries Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Organizing Secretaries SM Kamal Hossain and Mirza Azam also spoke, among others.