Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has called upon BNP to reconsider their decision against participating in the upcoming Upazila Parishad elections.

“I don’t know whether it’s their (BNP) final decision, but I would like to call upon the party to reconsider their decision,” Quader told reporters at a press briefing.

Mentioning that BNP had emerged victorious in the first phase of the previous UZ polls, Obaidul Quader said the party should not despair.

“The elections could have been competitive had BNP decided to contest the polls,” he said at a press briefing in his ministerial office reflecting on the upazila polls.

Assuring that all efforts will be taken to make the elections acceptable, he hoped that BNP would change its stance and join the elections.

PM’S TEA PARTY

Referring to the prime minister’s invitation to all the 75 political parties including BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront, Quader said “It is not a session for formal talks; it is for a pleasant exchange. However, there could be some talks in the interval.”

“It is up to them whether they would come or not. There could have been further discussions based on the talks,” he said.

The Jatiya Oikyafront declined Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's February 2 invitation to exchange greetings over tea, citing that no agenda were mentioned in the invitation.

Blasting Oikyafront’s denial to PM’s invitation, Quader said, “The way they (Oikyafront) responded to PM’s invitation does not coincide with democratic norms. It is the continuation of their habitual negative politics.”

“That’s why they have been rejected by the people,” he said.