Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said Bangalis are proud of the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with several heads of the states and governments highly praising her dynamic leadership.
"Today Sheikh Hasina's name is uttered with special respect on the world stage. After Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangalis are proud to have gotten Sheikh Hasina's leadership," he said in a statement issued protesting BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's “objectionable” comments.
Quader said under the leadership of successful statesperson Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has achieved unprecedented development in all sectors, including socioeconomic indexes.
World leaders are lauding the leadership of Sheikh Hasina as she has been able to continue the economic progress of Bangladesh amid the Covid pandemic and world crisis, he mentioned.
Bangladesh achieved independence under the undisputed leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Quader said.
The Awami League general secretary said Bangladesh wanted to achieve economic emancipation for the people of this country by building a Sonar Bangla.
To materialize the dream of Bangabandhu, his daughter Sheikh Hasina has been running the country to realize the people's hopes and aspirations, he said.
About Mirza Fakhrul's comment that elections cannot be held forcefully, Quader said the Awami League always believes in the people's verdict and came to power through a democratic system.
The Awami League has never made any evil attempts to prolong its staying in power forcefully by violating the democratic process, he added.
Quader said history says military dictator Ziaur Rahman grasped the state power by violating the democratic process and destroying the constitutional spirit.
The BNP is a party that was established under the umbrella of military dictatorship with the spirit of military rule, he said.
Quader said the BNP made evil attempts again and again to prolong its stay in power forcefully.
To implement such an evil plan, the BNP held voter-less farcical polls on February 15, 1996, he said.
The BNP again wanted to hold an election forcefully in 2007 in line with its evil plan to grasp the state power, and amid a mass movement, then-president of their own, Iajuddin Ahmed, had to cancel it, he said.
About the Digital Security Act, the minister said the government enacted the law to ensure digital security, not to restrict freedom of expression.
Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina has opened a golden door of opportunities for the flourishing of the media industry by establishing a digital Bangladesh, he said.
He said she has brought unobstructed opportunities for all including journalists to enjoy freedom of expression.
By misusing it, a vested quarter is hatching a conspiracy and spreading anti-state propaganda on digital platforms in the name of freedom of expression avoiding all kinds of accountability and reasonability, the Awami League leader said.
He said the government formulated the Digital Security Act to curb all kinds of crimes including anti-state activities on digital platforms.
There are such laws in many countries of the world for ensuring digital security, Quader said.
He said Mirza Fakhrul Islam took the side of “cyber terrorists” and offenders by making comments against the Digital Security Act.
