BNP starts road march losing its path: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said sensing defeat, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now afraid of joining the next general elections and the party has begun road march losing its path.

"There will be no movement if common people are not involved in it... BNP leaders and workers have joined its movement but they (BNP) failed to bring the common people in their movement. Because, the development and progress of the Sheikh Hasina government have been lauded around the world," he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while speaking at a meeting on Basurhat Pourashava Bangabandhu premises at Companiganj upazila here.

Speaking as the chief guest, he said developed nations have put the entire world at risk today but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is tackling the crisis that Bangladesh is facing due to the global economic setback.

Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) acknowledged Bangladesh as the 35th economically prosperous country in the world, the AL general secretary said.

Claiming that Bangladesh has started to turnaround from the ongoing crisis, he said Pakistan has no foreign reserve to import goods as its reserve reached the bottom level.

"Bangladesh will not be like Sri Lanka-like. Bangladesh gave loan to Sri Lanka during its crisis period," Quader added.

Noakhali District AL president AHM Khairul Anam Chowdhury Selim, deputy commissioner (DC) Dewan Mahbubur Rahman, superintendent of police Md Shahidul Islam, chairman of Companiganj Upazila Parishad Md Shahab Uddin, president of Companiganj Upazila AL and mayor of Basurhat Municipality Abdul Quader Mirza and general secretary of Upazila AL Mizanur Rahman Badal were, among others, present.

At the function, Quader distributed scholarships among 409 students awarded with Moshareff-Fazilatunnesa Foundation scholarship and inaugurated the newly constructed office of Companiganj Upazila Awami League and 23 development projects.

Later, the AL general secretary spoke at a workers' rally, arranged by Kabirhat Upazila AL, on Bangabandhu premises at Kabirhat Bazar.

Kabirhat Upazila AL president Haji Mohammad Ibrahim presided over the rally while its general secretary Jahirul Haque Raihan moderated it.

Noakhali District AL president AHM Khairul Anam Chowdhury Selim, its general secretary Shahid Ullah Khan Sohel and Kabirhat Municipality AL member Mamunul Haque Mamun were, among others, present.