Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said he was not wrong when he said a lot is going on behind the scenes.
Quader, who is also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, was exchanging views with journalists in the conference room of the Road Transport and Highways Department, at the Secretariat on Thursday.
Regarding his earlier remark that there has been some “agreement or consensus," Quader said: “The issue of rumours and propaganda in our country has become rampant. According to rumours, the relations between Bangladesh and the United States have deteriorated. Such rumours and misinformation have spread widely. This is not desirable at this time.”
“Do you you understand what I said? No one was aware for a week about the meeting with the US security adviser. So there is a lot going on behind the scenes, and I was not wrong,” Quader added.
During her recent visit to Washington DC, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter took a selfie with Joe Biden. That was being discussed. There was still some talk. Reaching consensus behind the scenes means improving relations. That is what I meant,” the Awami League leader clarified.
When it was pointed out that many are taking the “behind the scenes” expression negatively, he said: “If anyone wants to take it negatively, it is up to them. At public rallies, people want excitement… which is why exciting expressions like 'toley toley,' 'khela hobe' are used.”
Responding to a question on relations with China, Quader said: “China has a role to play in our development activities. We cannot bypass that. We are taking their help.”