No constitutional change before next polls: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said that there will be no change in the constitution even if BNP stays away from the next parliament election.

"BNP has liberty to participate in the upcoming national polls. The election must be held in time in accordance with the constitution. The constitution and the election will not wait for anybody," he said, addressing an extended meeting of Chittagong city Awami League (AL) at a local community centre here this afternoon.

Quader, also the general secretary of AL, said that there is no reason to be worried about BNP as this party could not stand in the street for nine minutes in the last nine years.

He said after failing to wage an anti-government movement, BNP is now hatching conspiracies for creating newer issues even by extending their hands to Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) to foil peace and harmony in the region.

He urged the leaders and workers of AL to get united forgetting all intra-party feuds and groupings as the national election is approaching.

"There is none to stall our journey towards development if we remain united," the AL general secretary said. "There will be nobody to save AL, if it becomes its own enemy," he added.

Mentioning that AL's current agenda is to make people happy, Quader said the achievements of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the country's development cannot be demeaned due to the misconducts of a few people.

Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam Bsc also addressed the meeting with Acting President of Chittagong city AL Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury in the chair.

AL central Organizing Secretary Enamul Hoque Shamim, city mayor and General Secretary of Chittagong city AL A J M Nasir Uddin and representatives of different wards and thana units of city AL also spoke on the occasion.

AL central Organising Secretary Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, AL deputy office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, former minister Dr Afsarul Amin, MP, AL leader Sabhia Musa, MP, Khurshed Alam Sujan, Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul, Noyom Uddin Chowdhury, Altaf Hossain Chowdury Baccu and Chittagong city Woman AL president Hasina Mohiuddin, among others, attended the function.