PM warns BCL of excess on quota issue: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned the members of the party's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League so that no more complaints are lodged against them on the quota issue.

While getting down from the dais at the end of yesterday’s reception programme at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, the PM told the BCL men that she received some complaints against them and warned that she does not want to hear any more allegations, Quader said quoting the premier.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was briefing journalists at his Secretariat office in Dhaka this afternoon.

About the upcoming general elections, Quader said that the election-time government will be formed any time in October.

“A cabinet will be formed for the polls-time government comprised of representatives of only the political parties in the parliament,” Quader said, adding that there is no scope to keep anyone else in this government.

The minister also said that the upcoming general elections will be held as per the constitution.

“BNP has earlier said they would not participate in the elections with Khaleda being imprisoned. Now they are saying they would resist the elections. We are suspecting they are hatching conspiracies and plotting subversive activities centring the polls,” he said.

“However, we will foil all their plots with the people on our side,” Quader said.

The minister also said the government is feeling any necessity to engage in any dialogue, adding that it is up to the Election Commission (EC) if it wants to hold dialogues with BNP or any other political party. 

Saying that participating in the elections is democratic right of BNP, Quader said it is up to the party to decide whether they would contest in the polls.

“Democracy will not stay put if BNP won’t vie for in the polls,” he said.

About the sufferings of the commuters in the capital due to the AL’s reception programme for PM Hasina, the minister said, “We organised the programme on Saturday keeping in mind the aspect of public sufferings. Still we are sorry for a few incidents of public sufferings.”