Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader says the ruling party is not attempting to stop people gathering for the BNP rally in Dhaka.
Most bus services to Dhaka from nearby areas have been halted since Sunday morning, ahead of the BNP rally in Suhrawardy Udyan at 2pm. The media asked the road transport and bridges minister about the BNP’s allegations the government was orchestrating the problem after a meeting of the Road Transport Security Council at a Dhaka restaurant on Sunday afternoon. “This must be investi gated to see who is obstructing them,” Quader said. “The BNP does tend to get in its own way.” “Investigations into many cases of such allegations have found they are baseless. The BNP has an old habit of complaining about everything.”
Asked why public transportation passengers were facing difficulty entering Dhaka, Quader said he did not know. “The road is already blocked,” said State Minister for Rural Development and Co-operatives Mashiur Rahman Ranga. “The buses have to return before they set off again.” “There have been cases where vehicles were burned and passengers burned with them. Why will the transport owners risk bus services to Dhaka?” Obaidul Quader blamed BNP activists for creating disruptions during the rally.
“After Nov 18, when the Mar 7 speech was added to the World Documentary heritage, the rally date was set on Saturday. There will be some public disturbance at any such event, but it is the responsibility of the political party holding it to ensure it is kept at a moderate level. But the situation today is intolerable. The roads are impassable.”
“The same thing happened on the day of Begum Zia’s return. More women came to welcome Sheikh Hasina’s home than came to see Begum Zia. But we managed to maintain order. The activists stuck to the footpath. If those holding the rally today come to power, the entire country will similarly grind to a halt.”
BNP leaders have said Khaleda Zia will deliver an ‘important message’ at the event.
The Awami League general secretary asked whether the BNP would clarify its demand for the government it wanted in place for the next general elections. But the election will still be held under the supervision of the current government, said Quader.
