Foreigners' directives over democracy not to be allowed: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said the directives of foreigners will not be allowed as democracy continues in Bangladesh following its proper norms.

"The talks of democracy do not suit BNP that destroyed democracy. We will continue our democracy. The orders of foreigners will not be allowed to this end," he told a function at AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital.

As per the directives of AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the party's relief and social welfare sub-committee organised the event to distribute warm clothes among the cold-hit people.

Quader said Sheikh Hasina is trying her best to flourish democracy in the country despite having various obstacles.

Terming the obsolete caretaker government system a 'dead issue', he said the next general elections will be free, fair, neutral and participatory while the government will discharge its routine work during the election.

Urging BNP to join the next polls if it wants to change the government, the AL general secretary said standing beside the people during any disaster is the seven-decade history of the ruling Awami League.

"The Awami League never hatches plot rather it has become the victim of conspiracy. The Awami League does not believe in the politics of killing but it fell a victim to such politics time and again," he said.

Claiming that there is no democracy in the BNP, Quader said: "How will BNP teach democracy to the AL? A record of fake voters was made during its era. BNP enlisted about 1.23 crore fake voters, which was one of the reasons behind the 1/11 changeover."

He said the BNP violated the democracy and that is why the talks of democracy do not suit the party.

AL President Sheikh Hasina led all the democratic movements of the country while the democracy was unchained after 1975 under her leadership, the AL general secretary said.

Chaired by AL relief and social welfare secretary Aminul Islam, the meeting was addressed, among others, by AL health and population affairs secretary Rokeya Sultana.