Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has introduced the process of holding free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
"In this election, we saw that the candidature of a ruling party candidate was cancelled and some candidates were issued show-cause. Sheikh Hasina has established a new instance through this election. It is possible to hold a fair election in this country only under Sheikh Hasina," he said.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was speaking at a joint meeting organized with central leaders and top leaders of Awami League's Dhaka city units and its affiliated bodies at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office here.
He said many countries from the Middle East, Africa, and the OIC have praised the fair election process and appreciated the newly elected government except a party of Bangladesh.
BNP did not join the polls sensing its defeat and those who boycotted the polls are saying different things, he added.
Pointing out the statement of TIB, the Awami League general secretary said the last general election was not a staged one as observers of many developed countries monitored it.
Even the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas congratulated the new government, after the polls, he said.
The election was a competitive one wherein many independent candidates were elected, while the Awami League had to take a new strategy on polls as the opposition party boycotted it, Quader said.
"Where did the commotion of BNP go? BNP tried to keep people away from polls. But many countries sent observers in the election....the election is being lauded," he said.
The Awami League general secretary said the country's people have no involvement with the BNP and that is why it has been turned into a party of frustrated ones.
He said BNP leaders locked their office but its leaders claimed that the government made their office locked.
"BNP leaders broke the lock of their office too. Even, they can lock their office and also break the lock of their office," Quader said.
