AL selects honest, qualified person as President: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said the ruling party nominated a well-educated, honest, efficient and skilled person for the post of the country's President.

"We did not nominate a person who is like Iajuddin Ahmed for the post of the President. We did not nominate a person from evil force who is an anti-liberation one and believes in terrorism and arson terrors," he told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in city's Agergaon area.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said as BNP has no interest to the country's democracy and the Constitution, the party did not show any interest to the new President. "We were not surprised to this end," he added.

About the next general elections, he said: "We clearly want to say that we want competitive polls. We expect that political parties like BNP would join the next polls."

On behalf of the Awami League, Quader thanked Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal after he declared Md Shahabuddin, a retired judge and former commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission, president-elect of Bangladesh.

"We got the announcement of presidential election after scrutiny. A copy has also been given to us," he said.

The AL general secretary said the new President will work in accordance with the country's Constitution after taking responsibility of the post.

"The President will do what the Constitution has entrusted him with, while he would not be able to do anything beyond the Constitution," he said.

The BNP has not interested in joining dialogues, Quader said the President and the EC earlier called BNP to join dialogues but it did not do so. "I think the BNP does not believe in dialogue," he added.

AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and AL Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua were, among others, present.