Public support to Awami League increases: Obaidul Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said public support to the ruling AL has increased due to massive development activities carried out by the incumbent government, reports BSS.

"Metrorail will open up to Motijheel soon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate it. The city dwellers will get benefits from the development programmes, including metrorail and elevated expressway," he told reporters.

Quader, the road transport and bridges minister, talked to reporters after visiting the spot of a citizen rally to be held at the old trade fair ground on the occasion of the inauguration of Kawla-Farmgate section of Dhaka Elevated Expressway.

He said the Awami League believes in work and not in words, and the AL government has already proved it by implementing the metrorail and Padma Bridge projects.

"The country's people are not used to hearing words but they want to see works. The government's development activities have proven that the Awami League keeps its pledges," the AL general secretary said.

Claiming that the people have no faith in BNP programmes, he said the procession brought out holding black flag is a mourning procession. "It is not possible to create a turbulent situation here with this procession. It is far away from toppling the government, rather BNP is concerned over its existence," he said.

The road transport and bridges minister said now travelling from Kawla to Farmgate will take only 10 minutes, while many passengers will travel on this road.

"City dwellers will definitely be benefited from it. Once the Motijheel section is inaugurated, Dhaka will turn into a modern city. Traffic movement will be easy," he said.

Quader said about 65 per cent of the Motijheel section of elevated expressway has been completed, but now this part is not being inaugurated.

"We hope we will be able to open the entire Dhaka Elevated Expressway by 2024. Dhaka Elevated Expressway will cover Airport to Farmgate, Farmgate to Moghbazar and Moghbazar to Kutubkhali. The distance of the entire section is 20 km, while total 46 km, including ramps," he said.

He said now the country's people are getting the benefits of the Padma Bridge and the metrorail from Uttara to Agargaon. "I inaugurated the first trial of metrorail up to Motijheel. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open this section. After the inauguration of this section of metrorail and the elevated expressway, people will be benefited for sure," Quader added.

AL organising secretaries BM Mozammel Haque and Mirza Azam, its cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil, office secretary Biplab Barua, Bridges Division secretary Md Monjur Hossain and Dhaka North City AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman were, among others, present.