Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said the demand by opposition parties for dialogue centring election is “absolutely ridiculous.”
He made the statement after his inspection of BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) mobile court activities at Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue Saturday morning.
Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, said: “There is no logic or necessity in holding such dialogue right now when there has been no controversy regarding the vote when even the democratic world has backed us up.
“The demand for dialogue regarding the election is absolutely ridiculous,” he added.
On the issue of leftist political parties’ complains about the election, the minister said: “This is the first time our prime minister received the support and good wishes of the democratic countries before the formation of the government.
“The developed nations had also congratulated the prime minister. There has been no question nationally or globally regarding the election. Therefore, such claims are inconsequential and illogical.”
Quader further said: “The people making these allegations are the opposition political parties who have lost in the election. You can ask the general people.... they are delighted as they were able to vote freely for their preferred candidates.”
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inspects BRTA mobile court activities at Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue on January 12, 2019 | Dhaka Tribune
He claimed that the opposition parties were making these allegations just to keep their activists energized.
Regarding BRTA’s drives, Quader said: “BRTA’s drive was postponed because of the election, leading to the increase in irregularities. Today [Saturday], in just two hours, some Tk98,000 were imposed as fines, eight cars were impounded, three people imprisoned, and 42 cases were filed.
“This drive will run regularly, and the BRTA has been instructed to strengthen its operations. The number of our executive magistrates has increased, and 10 magistrates have already been added. Because of this, they have become more active to take actions against vehicles without license and fitness documents,” he added.
The senior Awami League leader furthered: “Changes cannot be made overnight. It is essential that we change our mentality. The public sometimes becomes careless while crossing roads. They try to cross the road while traffic is moving which can lead to an accident.
“It is not always the driver who is responsible for an accident. Sometimes, accidents occur because of the carelessness of the passengers and pedestrians. These issues should also be brought to attention by the media. If we do not raise awareness, we will not be able to eradicate the irregularities and lawlessness on the roads.
“Therefore, I want everyone’s cooperation to build awareness among people regarding this matter,” the minister added.
