BNP must apologize to people for ill politics: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said BNP has to beg pardon to the countrymen before going to them again, for the party's ill politics of killing people alive with petrol bombs in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and for the violation of human rights.

"BNP has become isolated from the countrymen. They have to seek apology to the people before going to them for their (BNP) ill politics carried out in 2013, 2014 and 2015, killing people alive through petrol bombs and for the violation of human rights," he said.

The minister said this to reporters, replying to a query after addressing the inaugural function of "Transport Master Plan and Preliminary Feasibility Study for Urban Metro Rail Transit Construction of Chattogram Metropolitan Area (CMA)" project at a hotel in the port city.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader addressed the function as the chief guest virtually with Roads and Highways Department Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri in the chair.

About the BNP's road march programme, Hasan said BNP might run out of breath and now chose the path of road march. They might be copying the road march of someone else, he added.

Not only commoners, even the activists of the party (BNP) didn't take part in their road march programme, he added.

Over the demand of caretaker government of BNP, the minister asserted that there will never be a caretaker government in the country. The elections will be held like in other democratic countries including the USA, the UK, Continental Europe, Japan, India and Australia, he said.

He said in all parliamentary democratic countries, the government which is in power holds office during elections. Here is also the same, he continued.

The ruling party leader said incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will work as the premier during the election period and her government will discharge duty as the election-time government. And the polls will be held under the Election Commission, he added.

There is no benefit to do road march or sit-in procession, said Hasan.

Hoping that BNP would take part in the upcoming polls, the minister said, "We want BNP and all other political parties to take part in the polls. We want that the countrymen elect their next government through a competitive and fair election," he added.

In the function, he said, "Today is a happy day for the dwellers of Chattogram as many of them didn't think that Metro Rail will be constructed in the port city. It is a happy day for me too. Many times I requested the premier and the road transport and bridges minister for building a metro rail in the port city. The feasibility study is to start with the joint funding of the Bangladesh and Korean government under the directives of the prime minister."

Hasan said the premier has allocated about 1.2 million dollars for three projects to relieve the city from water logging. The works of those projects are going on and coordination is needed among the three projects, he added.

The minister hoped that the people of the city would get relief from the water logging if the projects are implemented properly.

He said many hills have been cut and the natural beauty and environment have been damaged due to the cutting of hills. The metro rail project will be very helpful in beautifying the Chattogram city, said Hasan.

Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Jang-Keun Lee, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Principal Rowshan Ara Mannan, Chattogram city Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, ERD secretary Sharifa Khan, Chattogram Development Authority Chairman M Jahirul Alam Dobhash, DTC Executive Director Sabiha Parvin and KOICA Bangladesh Country Director Young Ah Doh, among others, addressed the function as special guests.

The feasibility study of the project will be conducted by Korean consulting firm KOIKA and the cost of the study has been estimated at Taka 70.63 crore.