Evil forces will not be allowed to ‘play with fire’: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said evil forces will not be allowed to “play with fire” in the country.

“No evil force will be allowed to play with fire on the soil of Bangla. Their communal, militant and terrorist activities will get a befitting reply,” he told a meeting of the AL’s Mymensingh divisional representatives at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office here.

Quader said the Awami League will hold programmes throughout the year while all AL men would remain alert at district, upazila and grassroots levels.

Asking the party’s leaders and activists not to leave the streets, he said the ruling party is not announcing counter-programmes. “We will remain on the streets and at field level until the election. We have programmes every day”.

The AL general secretary said the Awami League is the only party in Bangladesh, which has the practice of democracy within it.

“Everything is running in the AL as per the party rules…three national councils of the AL were held before the tenures expired. Mr. Fakhrul, do you remember when you became the secretary? The BNP does not hold any conference,” he said.

Claiming that BNP leaders talk about democracy but they do not practice democracy in their party, Quader said: “How will they bring democracy in the country? They complain to foreigners that there is no democracy in Bangladesh but they themselves do not practice democracy”.

After assuming power in 2001, the BNP sent democracy to the edge of destruction, he said.

The Election Commission (EC) was formed following proper procedures, he said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not make anyone a member of the EC.

The AL general secretary said a vested quarter, which is the patron of communalism and bearers of corrupt politics, is spreading propaganda against the Awami League.

“Resistance should be created against them. We have to remain ready to resist them (the vested quarter). A team should be formed to stop the propaganda against the Awami League. Manpower should be recruited to this end,” he said.

Quader suggested forming the AL committees incorporating senior and junior leaders, giving priority to the tested ones.

Chaired by AL presidium member and Deputy Leader of the House Matia Chowdhury, the meeting was attended, among others, by AL joint general secretary Dr Dipu Moni, organising secretaries Mirza Azam and Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, cultural affairs secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and State Minister for Religion Faridul Haque.