Obaidul: BNP leaders spent their time in air-conditioned rooms

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has mocked the BNP, saying its leaders are preferring air-conditioned rooms to street campaigning ahead of the 11th parliamentary polls. Obaidul was addressing a rally organized by the ruling party’s Dhaka South unit at Bangabandhu Avenue on Friday to mark what it calls “Victory Day for Democracy” - the anniversary of the 2014 election that was boycotted by opposition parties, including BNP. The road transport and bridges minister said BNP would be left out of the political arena if they repeat the “mistake” by sitting out the next election slated for December this year. “The party will have to take part in the forthcoming election as there is no other option left for them without participating in the polls,” he said. Obaidul said the BNP leaders did not take to the streets during the party’s recent movement against the government. “Rather, they spent their time watching movies in air-conditioned rooms,” he said. The Awami League general secretary further claimed that BNP chief Khaleda Zia is suffering from mental illness due to the strain of frequently appearing before court in graft cases. “If you really want to save Bangladesh, then you will have to elect Awami League for another term and save it for the sake of the country and for its development as well,” Obaidul said. Friday’s rally was also addressed by Awami League Presidium Member Dr Abdur Razzak, and its organising secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim and AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Office Secretary Abdus Shobhan Golap, and Dhaka south unit General Secretary Shah Mohammad Murad. Separately, Awami League Presidium Member Mohammed Nasim claimed that democracy in Bangladesh had been consolidated through the January 5 polls. “Martial law would have been imposed had the election not been held on that day,” he was quoted by BSS as saying. The health and family welfare minister further claimed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had “brought democracy back” on that day by defeating all conspiracies and impediments. "That’s why we observe the day as ‘Victory Day for Democracy,” he said. The Dhaka north unit also organized a rally and brought out a victory procession in Gulshan and Banani at 3pm on Friday, while the party and its associate bodies held identical programs across the country.