Quader urges Oikyafront to play responsible role

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday urged Jatiya Oikyafront to play a bold and responsible role both in and outside the parliament.

“We too want Oikyafront’s unity to sustain. A strong and responsible opposition is essential for democracy,” he said at a joint meeting of Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office.

Party secretaries, presidents and general secretaries of its associate bodies, presidents and general secretaries of Dhaka city units, city mayors and AL lawmakers attended the meeting.

Quader said the ruling party does not want to see discord in Oikyafront. He said Sheikh Hasina’s government and Awami League want a strong and responsible opposition party.

He pointed out that BNP could not wage any movement in the last 10 years.

The government, he said, is not under international pressure for the release of Khaleda Zia though BNP “always lobbies with the international community for the release of its convicted leader”.

Responding to the remarks of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir over Khaleda Zia’s treatment, Quader said although doctors do not have any concern over her health, BNP is now trying to “do politics over the issue”.

AL joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak; Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal; Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam; Dhaka South Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon; AL organising secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim, BM Mozammel Haque, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel; office secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap; and relief and social welfare secretary Sujit Roy Nandi were present at the meeting, among others.