DHAKA – Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said that people foiled “the BNP blueprint” to make controversial the three city corporation polls.

“People foiled the blueprint of BNP centering the three city polls,” he told journalists at a press conference at the Awami League President’s Dhanmondi political office in the city.

He said AL-nominated candidates achieved a landslide victory in the polls of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) and Rajshahi city corporation (RCC) as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government won the hearts of mass people.

The AL general secretary accused BNP of staging “a drama of mockery” in the last few days to make the election questionable by all means.

Quader alleged that BNP mayoral candidate of BCC boycotted the polls process early on the Election Day apprehending his defeat.

He said BNP-backed mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul staged “many dramas” in Rajshahi while BNP contestant in Sylhet Ariful Haque demanded reelection before the voting ended but “later showed the victory sign”.

Quader said of five city corporations AL candidates won the mayoral posts in four. “The polls of the city corporations and other local government bodies eventually proved that people accepted the politics of development being
spearheaded by party President Sheikh Hasina and rejected the negative politics of BNP,” he said.

The AL general secretary said people do not want to see any alternative government like the then Hawa Bahban of BNP.

Replying to a query about the initiative taken by government to check road mishaps, Quader said, “Those who were responsible for the road accident that killed two students in the city would be exposed to stern punitive actions.”

AL joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP, organizing secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim, MP, and AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, publicity and publication secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud, MP, office secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, cultural affairs secretary Osim Kumar Ukil, environment and forest affairs secretary Delwar Hossain, science and technology affairs secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur, education and human resource affairs secretary Shamsun Nahar Chapa, among others, were present at the press conference.