Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that his party will serve legal notices on the BNP and its chief Khaleda Zia. “The BNP will be served a legal notice for serving a fake notice on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said at a blanket distribution programme organized by the Awami League’s Dhaka metropolitan north unit on Friday.
“BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be served one of her comments on the Padma Bridge,” Quader said. “The BNP will have to wait for the notice.”
He said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had claimed that there were faults in Padma Bridge’s design. “Prove it or we will also serve you a legal notice too,” he added.
BNP chief Khaleda served a legal notice on Awami League chief Hasina on December 23 over her comments regarding Khaleda’s alleged properties in Saudi Arabia.
“The prime minister spoke about the money laundering of a family in the local and international media based on information and data. She informed the nation through Parliament,” Quader said.
He said the revelation had rattled the BNP leaders.
Quader also spoke about the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by-polls where the Jamaat-e-Islami is filing a candidate. When asked whether any party that is not registered with the Election Commission can contest in the by-polls, he could not answer the question.
“The Election Commission can give a reply to this question,” he said. “As far as I know, only registered (political) parties can participate in the polls. The commission should not allow other parties (with registration).”
Quader criticized the BNP for not standing by the distressed people during this winter and lamented the political culture. “This year’s winter has broken the record of 50 years. As soon as our leader (Sheikh Hasina) learned about the severe cold Panchagarh-Thakurgaon region, she ordered me to rush there for distributing warm clothes,” he said.
“We went there the same day and distributed clothes at night in Syedpur amid severe cold. We gave out Tk32 lakh in cash and 37,000 blankets.
“The current political practice has become violent, only meant to subdue the opposition.”
The Awami League general secretary said no other political party stood by the destitute people during this winter, adding that the government has so far distributed 10 million blankets among the poor.