Polls only route for regime change: Obaidul Quader

There is no scope to topple the government and BNP's only prospect of coming into power is winning through ballots, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said.

"If you want change, come to the election," said Quader, suggesting the BNP to drop its demand for a caretaker government to oversee polls.

"Elections will be held like in other countries," he further said at a media brief after the agreement signing between the country's first underground metro rail project (Mass Rapid Transit Line-1) implementing agency Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited and lead consultant Nippon Koei Co Limited, a consortium of eight companies.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the Awami League will only leave power if people vote them out of office.

Responding to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's comment, Quader said, "Awami League does not need any kind of safe exit. Rather, the BNP should find one for themselves."

The Awami League general secretary said that BNP was daydreaming after 13 years of their failed movement.

About BNP's recent divisional rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, and Khulna, the ruling party leader said BNP leaders were overestimating the number of people who attended their events.

"In Chattogram, there were close to one lakh people but the numbers in the other two BNP rallies were much less," he said.
Obaidul Quader also said that the government is not obstructing BNP's rallies, but there was a time the Awami League was not allowed the same.

"Even on 21 February, we could not hold meetings in front of our party office. Leaders like Mohammad Nasim, Matia Chowdhury, and Abdus Samad Azad were beaten up on the streets," Quader said.

"On the contrary, BNP leaders can now go to the streets and live at their own residences in peace. But, during the five years of BNP tenure, I could not stay at my own house even for five weeks," he added.

Pointing to BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, Quader said, "He does not have the courage to stay in the country, and they say he will lead a mass movement. It is ridiculous."  

About the public transport strike ahead of BNP rallies in Mymensingh and Khulna, the minister said, "They even went on a strike against me when I was a minister. It is their decision whether they will run their private transport or not. I did not stop BRTC buses."

Asked if the Awami League will announce any counter programmes, he said Awami League does not organise any counter events.

"Regular programs of the Awami League are going on," said Quader, hoping several lakh people will turn up at the Dhaka district Awami League rally slated on 29 October.