DHAKA, Mar 01, 2024 (BSS) - Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP leaders are going to their foreign masters after they were repeatedly rejected by the country's people.

"They (BNP leaders) are doing politics thinking of the foreign ambassadors as their gods," he said in a statement.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said those who do not respect the country's democratic process and elections, do not believe in the empowerment of the people.

"They only depend on the foreign powers. That's why BNP is carrying out propaganda against the country's interests and its people by employing lobbyists spending a huge amount of money," he said.

The AL general secretary said: "On the contrary, the Awami League does politics in the public welfare. The AL believes that the commoners are the only source of power. The course of the AL's politics is determined holding the hopes and aspirations of the people."

About the power price adjustment, Quader said talking about electricity does not suit BNP leaders.

He said BNP-Jamaat coalition was engaged in looting public money by opening Hawa Bhaban during its reign, while they looted Taka 21,000 crore from the power sector.

The World Bank had canceled financing in the power sector due to the corruption of BNP-Jamaat government, the road transport minister said.

During its 1996-2001 period, he said, the Awami League government increased the power generation to 4,200 megawatts.

But, later on, the BNP-Jamaat coalition came to power and brought down the power generation to 3,100 megawatts, he added.

During the BNP's reign, there was load-shedding for 18 hours a day, while farmers protesting for electricity were shot dead, Quader said.

He said the BNP made mockery with the country's people by installing only poles instead of giving electricity.

BNP could not increase generation of one megawatt of power but it hiked the price of electricity nine times in five years during its regime, he added.

The AL general secretary said: "The power generation capacity has now increased to 29,700 megawatts, thanks to the timely action of the successful statesman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."

At present, cent percent people of the country are getting electricity facilities, he said, adding that the BNP leaders are lying about the increase in electricity prices.

"This price hike will not affect the general power consumers. To reduce the subsidy in the power sector, the power price will be slightly increased at the level of large customers," he said.

Quader said the BNP leaders talked about freedom of expression, while they are constantly lying freely in front of media and are questioning the freedom of expression too.

People of the country are aware of this duplicity and shameless lying of BNP, he said.

The minister said the freedom of expression has been established and consolidated during the government of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

He said the present government opened the new door of the freedom of expression by giving approval to more than 50 private television channels, several hundreds of online news portals and new national and regional newspapers.