Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the process to form the Election Commission will continue whether anyone joins the dialogue or not.
The process which was followed earlier in reconstituting the Election Commission is being followed now, Quader said, referring to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s statement that the President's dialogue is meaningless and the crisis will not be resolved with it.
Obaidul Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said this at a briefing at his residence in the morning.
An election commissioner was appointed from the BNP's list last time, he said, adding, "A strong election commission cannot be formed by delivering speech in the media. A process should be followed for the EC formation. This will prove whether BNP wants a strong Election Commission or prefers to create a controversy," he also said.
About Mirza Fakhrul’s comment that the country has been identified as an undemocratic one due to the government’s “misdeeds”, Quader said BNP, in fact, is obstructing the democratic progress of the country in every step.
"Bangladesh had been identified as a fanatic, extremist and communal country during BNP’s tenure," he also said.
He expressed the hope that the BNP will come forward to help form a strong Election Commission by shunning negative politics.
Quader said Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina has established non-communal Bangladesh as a potential economic power in the world by establishing people's rights.
In response to the allegation of BNP leaders that the government is lying about Khaleda Zia's treatment, Quader said, ”There’s not truth in their statements due to their endless lies and they’ve been relying on lies and bad politics since the beginning of Khaleda's case.”
To establish the notion that captive Khaleda Zia is more powerful, he said, they did not even try to get her released, nor did they fight a legal battle.
Quader also mentioned that they have given more importance to gaining political benefits than Khaleda’s treatment, but Sheikh Hasina has set an example of generosity and humanity towards Khaleda Zia.
Quader said the senior leaders of BNP are now on the sidelines, they do not understand the reality of the field and they have no involvement with people.
Later, Quader joined the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.
The meeting was chaired by Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairperson Raushna Ara Mannan.
