Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said BNP always speaks about establishing democracy in the country but the party does not practice it within the party.
“BNP only speaks about democracy but it has no practice inside the party,” Quader told journalists during a regular virtual briefing at his official residence on Wednesday.
"The BNP has failed to hold its councils at grassroots level. It is ridiculous as the party which has no democracy will establish democracy in the country,” he said.
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Quader mentioned that the Awami League as a party is ahead of any other political parties across the country in terms of practising internal democracy.
“How can an anti-election party talk about democracy?” the AL general secretary questioned BNP leaders.
Criticizing the resignation of the BNP secretary general after being elected in the last Jatiya Sangsad by-polls, Quader said: “What kind of democracy it is as a party whose secretary general resigns after being elected by popular vote, when their party is in the House?”
The senior AL leader added: "Democracy is a process, not a matter of one day or one year, it is a long process. The democratic journey continues through the sincere cooperation and practice of the government as well as the opposition.”
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Obaidul Quader said the Awami League under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been playing a leading role in the development and progress of democracy countrywide.
Sheikh Hasina has restored the spirit of Liberation War and democratic values, he added.
The AL minister said Sheikh Hasina has shown the courage to correct the mistakes.
He said overcoming many obstacles on the way to the development of democracy, Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has continued her untiring efforts.
No matter how the BNP makes imaginary allegations, it is not the government but the BNP that has narrowed the path to the development of democracy, observed Quader.
In fact, the BNP is infected with the virus of blaming the government for everything without seeing their own crimes, the AL general secretary added.