Awami League always expects participatory election: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said the AL always hopes for a participatory and competitive election.

"We hope a participatory and competitive election will be held in time as per the constitutional procedures and with the participation of all political parties," he said in a statement, reports BSS.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the constitutional and democratic progress will not be hindered in any way through conspiracy and the train of democracy will not wait for anyone.

He said the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government has taken the responsibility of running the state through people's mandate and the AL always follows the constitution, laws and democratic norms in politics.

Elections will be held in time as per the constitution and following the globally recognised democratic norms and procedures, the AL general secretary said.

Noting that an identified section of people of the country, including BNP, has been suffering mentally from the 'denial symptom', he said they have no faith in the country's constitution, judiciary, elections, public opinion and democratic norms.

"They choose the path of intrigue time and again. They always try to seize state power through murder-coup-conspiracy, bypassing elections," he added.

Quader said killing the country's constitution and democracy, BNP founder Ziaur Rahman captured the state power without elections.

The BNP traditionally indulges in plots to hold power illegally and it was forced to quit power repeatedly because of resistance from the country's people, he said.

About the BNP's demand of caretaker government, the road transport and bridges minister said the BNP had shamelessly politicised the non-partisan caretaker government system to maintain their illegitimate power.

Through an amendment to the constitution, he said, the BNP raised the retirement age of judges to seize power in the name of caretaker government.

BNP even hijacked the post of the chief of the caretaker government through the President, Quader said, adding that the BNP destroyed all the state organs during its reign.

The country's apex court pronounced the final judgment terming the caretaker government system illegal and unconstitutional, he said.

The AL general secretary said the BNP never practices democracy and its leaders do not follow democratic norms in running the party.

Even the BNP amended the constitution to give political legitimacy to its corrupt leaders, he said.

Quader said only those, who do not believe in democracy and indulge in plots against the country, can undermine the Election Commission (EC).