Quader to partymen: Reach out to people

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has urged partymen to reach out to people to gain their trust ahead of the general election. “Staying at home won't do,” he told a programme in Dhaka on Monday, reminding everyone that the next election was only two years away. “You [party activists] must be active on the field to win the election.” He suggested against flattering party leaders. “Go from door to door of the people instead and gain their confidence,” Quader said. He was speaking at a program to mark the 10th death anniversary of Awami League leader and former Dhaka City mayor Mohammad Hanif. Quader remembered Hanif, undivided Dhaka's first mayor, as a leading figure in spearheading the movement to topple the Khaleda Zia administration and who sacrificed his life to protect Sheikh Hasina during the Aug 21 grenade attack. Quader urged the partymen to uphold the ideologies of Hanif, saying there was no place in the party for those who violate discipline and are involved in terrorism.