Quader annoyed by BCL flattery

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader rebuked Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists who were chanting political slogans in a government programme in Rajshahi city yesterday.

“Bangladesh has now turned into a factory for producing leaders. Many kinds of leaders -- atineta, patineta, sikineta, adhulineta -- have fanned out across the country,” he said.

The road transport and bridges minister launched into a blistering criticism after BCL activists started chanting slogans welcoming him on behalf of different city and district unit leaders when his name was announced as the chief guest at Digital Innovation Fair on the Rajshahi Government College ground.

“It is a digital fair, not any political meeting, rally or even a political discussion. Therefore, there is no need to shout political slogans,” Quader said.

As he criticised, BCL men started clapping, only adding to his disappointment.

Quader said, “Those who are being criticised for chanting slogans are now clapping. You have to come out of such behaviours.”

This is a different platform, he said, adding that the Rajshahi divisional commissioner organised it, and it was a programme of the administration. "We don't need to drag the administration into politics."

Quader also criticised the digital banners the political leaders hung by the road to the city from Shah Makhdum Airport.

He observed that for self-promotion, the local leaders printed the banners with big portraits of theirs, while those of Quader and other leaders like Jahangir Kabir Nanok and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury were smaller, and those of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the smallest.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak attended the programme, chaired by Divisional Commissioner-in-Charge Munir Hossain.