BNP had tacit consent over death threat on PM: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Wednesday that BNP had tacit consent over recent death threat on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“BNP had connivance with the death threat given to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It was not a slip of tongue,” he told the reporters after laying foundation stone of Baroiarhat-Heyako-Ramgarh Road Up-gradation Project at Tejgaon’s Sarak Bhahan here.

Asking whether BNP wants to implement its one-point demand by killing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Quader said US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas did not take it normally too but any responsible leader of BNP did not take measure to this end yet.

“A joint secretary general of BNP claimed that it was a slip of tongue. The person who gave death threat to Sheikh Hasina is not any ordinary worker of BNP. He is a district convener and central leader of BNP. The statement he was given was BNP’s one,” he said.

He said BNP now announced its one-point demand leaving its 27-point and 10-point demand, and that means BNP wants to implement its one-point by killing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Calling upon all the AL leaders and workers to remain alert in this regard, the AL general secretary said “We must stay alert until next general elections. We will resist those who will try to halt the elections”.

About the BNP’s attack on a BRTC bus and police on Tuesday, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said it is BNP’s old nature that the party would carry out anarchy and terrorist acts in the name of movement.

He said the situation that arises will tell how the law enforcement forces will deal with it and “we will deal with the situation politically. We will not resort to any violence”.

Earlier, the road transport and bridges minister laid the foundation stone of Baroiarhat-Heyako-Ramgarh Road Up-gradation Project initiated jointly by Bangladesh and India.

Speaking on the occasion, he said Bangladesh has strong relations with India as it is Bangladesh’s close neighbour.

He said the government is not allowing any insurgent group of India to conduct its terrorist acts using the land of Bangladesh.

Claiming that there was no hindrance from India in implementation of the border agreement, Quader said when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, the border agreement was approved in a joint session of the Parliament of India and then none raised objection to this.

“India has unanimously implemented the border agreement. It was a historical work. But it would not have been possible if we had not dismantled the wall of mistrust,” he said.

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Kumar Verma was present at the function with Chief Engineer Roads and Highways Department Md Ishaque in the chair.

Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, MP, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited MAN Siddique and Managing Director of Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company Limited Safiqul Islam were, among others, present.