GAIBANDHA, June 17, 2022 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today called upon the people to remain alert against BNP-Jamaat clique and anti-state evil forces' conspiracies to thwart the Padma Bridge opening.

He said while replying to journalists at Gaibandha Circuit House before joining Saghata Upazila AL council in the district, said a press release.

Hasan said most of winners in councilor post are from Awami League in the Cumilla City Corporation elections and it was expected that the AL mayoral candidate's vote margin will be bigger.

About Padma Bridge, the minister said it is not only a bridge rather it is symbol of capacity and dignity of Bangladesh as well as Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Though people all over the country become happy because of the bridge completion, Jamaat-BNP and some midnight television talk-show experts could not be happy, he said.

That's why BNP-Jamaat and anti-state evil forces are making evil efforts to create anarchy in the country ahead of Padma Bridge inauguration, he said.

"We think fire incidents across the country including on running train occurred as part of that (conspiracy). I call upon the countrymen to remain alert," he said.

Asked about Cumilla city polls, the minister said the election was held in a very festive mood with the spontaneous participation of candidates and voters while defeated candidates also said it and no disorder took place during polls.

"We expected that our candidate will win in a bigger margin as our candidates won in 20 wards in councilor posts out of 27 wards. AL supported woman councilor candidates also won in seven posts out of nine. As most of the Awami League candidates won in councilor posts, we expected our mayoral candidate would get much better votes," he mentioned.

About proposed budget, he said the budget size has increased seven to eight times in the last 13 and half years, poverty declined to 20 percent from 41pc and extreme poverty declined to 10pc.

Some intellectuals and Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) can never praise budget and "I can't realize why their intellect turns down over budget".

Later, the AL joint general secretary addressed the Saghata Upazila AL council as the special guest.

AL Presidium Member Shajahan Khan addressed the council as the chief guest. AL Organizing Secretary Sakhawat Hossain Shafique, Jatiya Sangsad Whip Mahbub Ara Begum Gini and Central Working Committee Members Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia and Advocate Safura Begum Rumi also addressed the council session as the special guests.

Gaibandha district AL Vice-President Farhad Abdullah Harun Bablu inaugurated it and its general secretary Abu Bakar Siddique spoke as the main speaker.

Upazila AL President Md Wares Ali Pradhan chaired the council session while its general secretary SM Samshi moderated it.