C T Online Desk: Ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday said that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party had backed Ashraful Alam, popularly known as Hero Alam, in the February 1 by-polls to belittle the parliament.
‘The BNP had wanted to demean the parliament by backing Hero Alam in the by-polls, but his loss came as a heartbreak for them,’ Quader said at a peace rally in the capital’s Kamrangirchar area.
Ashraful Alam, a content creator and popular social media personality, was an independent candidate in the February 1 Jatiya Sangsad by-elections to the Bogura 4 and 6 constituencies.
Alam faced derogatory questions from a section of people reportedly for his socio-economic standing as he has been aspiring to become a lawmaker after making his foray in national politics in the 2018 general elections.
AL central committee members attended the programme organised by the Dhaka South unit of the party as part of its bid to counter the BNP’s divisional rallies intended to press home its 10-point demands, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
Quader said that many thugs, who entered the Awami League politics to illegally accumulate wealth, were BNP activists.
‘Many Awami League leaders are amassing wealth through extortion, land grabbing and in other unlawful manners. These people are from the BNP and have no right to be part of the Awami league,’ Quader observed.
He also urged party leaders to identify such people and not include them in unit committees as they might tarnish the ruling party’s image.
Quader admitted that the public were suffering from increasing fuel and daily commodity prices.
Market prices of daily goods and fuels are increasing due to various international factors, including the Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions, said Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, adding that the government is trying to ease the people’s plight despite these reasons.
The senior leader mentioned that he still had to take medical care after the stage broke down due to excessive pressure during the pro-AL Bangladesh Chhatra League’s 75th anniversary celebration at Dhaka University on December 23, 2022.
‘There are many leaders on the stage today, too, but we need more activists. I am still undergoing treatment due to the stage collapse,’ he said.
On January 27, Obaidul Quader, while addressing the mass media, said that the Awami League would remain on the streets until the next general election, recently slated by the chief election commissioner to be held in December 2023.
Recently, the Awami League announced and observed political programmes on several occasions to counter protests staged by the BNP and its like-minded parties.
