Democracy wins through Gazipur city polls: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said democracy has won through the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls as it was held in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

"Democracy has won through the Gazipur city election and it has been lauded abroad. Awami League did not interfere in the polls to make its candidate win. BNP's falsehood about polls has been proven," he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was addressing a rally organised in front of Awami League's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in Dhaka, protesting the recent death threat to Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said the countrymen became happy as the election was held in a free, fair and impartial manner.

Like Gazipur city polls, the Awami League general secretary said, the next national elections and four more city polls will be free, fair and neutral ones.

About the recent death threat to Sheikh Hasina, he said it was not a slip of the tongue at all.

After a BNP leader's threat to kill Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, thousands of voters went in favour of her party and in contrast, the popularity of BNP reached bottom level, Quader said.

He said the development achieved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and the good behaviour of the Awami League men will play an important role in the next general elections.

About the US visa policy, the minister said, "Why will we obstruct the elections? We should oversee who are impeding polls. Those who do not want elections to be held and those who want to restore caretaker government system may obstruct elections."

"No foreign friend ever told anyone about the caretaker government," he added.

Quader said it has to be observed whether this US visa policy comes into effect against those who obstruct the elections.

BNP wanted sanctions but the US announced visa policy, he said, adding that after noticing this visa policy, BNP leaders become sleepless while BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's face got parched.

Claiming that convicted Tarique Rahman is continuously making statements online, the Awami League general secretary posed a question, "How does a convict make political statements each day? Why does not he follow the court's verdict?"

Awami League Joint General Secretary Dipu Moni, Organising Secretary Mirza Azam and Dhaka south city Awami League President Abu Ahmed Mannafi and its General Secretary Humayun Kabir, among others, spoke.