DHAKA, June 19, 2023 (BSS) – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP is conducting propaganda to make Bangladesh peacekeepers questionable.   

“BNP is conducting propaganda to make Bangladesh peacekeepers, who are maintaining peace in different countries with reputation, questionable. And it has been doing this using Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB),” he said. 

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while speaking at a meeting of the party’s secretariat at AL President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office here this afternoon.

Mentioning that the next general elections is a challenge for the ruling AL, he said politics is being polarised and counter-opinion is being exhibited over the polls.

“We want peaceful elections in the country but a quarter, led by BNP, wants to make the polls questionable. They want to use external power after they failed. That is why they are hatching plots,” the AL general secretary said. 

He said steps were taken to make the country’s electoral system more authoritative and free through various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. 

The opposition alliance, led by BNP, actually knows that if the elections are peaceful, they will be defeated in it, Quader said. 

He said BNP knows that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is very popular in the country and if the election is held now, BNP will not be able to win. 

“So, the BNP’s task is now to make the polls questionable and impede it. That is why they (BNP leaders) first lodged complaints to foreigners. Now their lobbyists are deployed in the United States of America and the European Union countries. Lastly, propaganda is being spread using Transparency International Bangladesh,” the road transport minister said.

He said the ruling AL must continue its peaceful struggle so that none can obstruct the next general elections. 

“We will remain in the field until the next elections is held so that BNP cannot disrupt the polls environment through the terrorism and arson attacks like its past ones. We will hold peaceful rallies,” Quader said. 

Holding peaceful elections is the only way out of the crisis, he said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured that the elections will be free, fair and peaceful one. 

Quader said a month-long programme will be celebrated in a simple, spontaneous and multi-dimensional manner across the country, marking the 74th founding anniversary of Awami League on June 23.

AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, AL Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Dr Dipu Moni, Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, SM Kamal Hossain, Afzal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, Publicity Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, Office Secretary Biplab Barua and Deputy Publicity Secretary Syed Abdul Awal Shamim were, among others, present.