Awami League to ensure public safety staying on streets: Obaidul Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said the ruling party would ensure the safety of the country's people by taking stance on streets.

"No matter how much trouble BNP creates, the Awami League will ensure the safety of the country's people and democracy staying on the streets," he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while visiting a stall of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Amar Ekushey Book Fair in the capital, reports BSS.

He said the aim of all the programmes of BNP is to make the country's democracy questionable and that is why no matter how much chaos BNP creates, the AL will remain on the streets to ensure the safety of the people and democracy.

The AL general secretary said the BNP was always champion in the arson-vandalism movement.

The BNP is now moving towards creating chaos and conflict after it failed in movement against the government, he said, adding that in the name of BNP's road march, the party is now creating chaos whereas the AL is working to ensure the security of the people.

Quader said the AL never wants conflict but it wants peace. "But, as BNP failed in the movement and it wants to go towards conflict. Along with the government, the ruling is alert to prevent the recurrence of violence and arson attacks like 2013-14 ones," he said.

Claiming that the government wants peace, not conflicts, he said the AL are not taking any counter-rally but holding peace rallies. "We don't want conflict. We want competition. We want competition in politics and elections. But BNP wants conflict," he added.

The road transport and bridges minister said as there is no democracy in the BNP, the party does not want democracy in the country. "The BNP wants to go to power through secret lanes of dark, capitalising on conflict situation".

About the chance of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's participation in polls, he said the BNP chief was convicted and this situation did not allow her to join polls.

If she, as a BNP leader, wants to do politics, she must follow the conditions of her release from jail, Quader added.

Later, on the premises of the book fair, the AL general secretary unveiled a book -- Premiker Nam Kabita -- written by film actress Keya.