'Game on' with BNP once PM returns, says Quader as 48-hour ultimatum ends

The BNP's 48-hour ultimatum ended so there will be a "game" once Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returns home, said Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday.

"There is no public involvement in the BNP's movement as its all points are fake ones. The BNP's 48-hour ultimatum ended and what Fakhrul will do now," he told a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

The ruling AL arranged the discussion marking the 76th birthday of AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Quader said the next general elections will be held in line with the country's constitution, while there is no scope of restoring the obsolete caretaker government system in the country.

Giving the example of the Fakhruddin-Moinuddin period, Quader said if the caretaker government system is restored, there will be an unusual government in Bangladesh, which will not happen.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, reiterated that there would be no outcome by imposing sanctions and issuing visa policy on Bangladesh.

"No result would come out by threatening us. There will be no outcome by imposing sanctions and issuing visa policy," he said.

The minister said Bangladesh would not have achieved its independence in 1971 if its people feared sanctions.

"If we are afraid of sanctions even today, we cannot continue the progress of Bangladesh. The next elections will be held under the Sheikh Hasina government. There will be no compromise," he said.

The AL general secretary said it is interesting that Washington imposed sanctions but BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir intimidates the government.

Criticising the US policy over Bangladesh, he said US President Joe Biden cannot handle Donald Trump but intimidates Bangladesh.

Noting that six lives were lost in Washington Hill on 6 January 2021, Quader said human rights are violated in the United States every day. "So why do you threaten us? Fakhrul has been hired as a broker again [by the US]," he added.

Chaired by AL Presidium member Begum Matia Chowdhury, the meeting was addressed, among others, by AL presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Colonel (retd) Faruk Khan, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Shajahan Khan, Qamrul Islam, Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya Bir Bikram, AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, and AL joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Dr Dipu Moni.