DHAKA, – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said concealing truth is an old habit of BNP.
“When the development and progress carried out by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government are lauded around the world, BNP gets hurt seeing this,” he told a press conference on contemporary issues at his official residence here.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said there will be opponents in politics but it is unfair that truth cannot be expressed.
Asking BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to look at the country’s socioeconomic indexes, he said Bangladesh now stands at the level of the developing countries due to improvement in every index.
The AL general secretary said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not prepare these indexes, while different international research bodies prepared those.
Mentioning that an investment-friendly atmosphere is currently prevailing in the country, he urged BNP to shun the polities of arson terrorism and public prosperity destruction. “If you (BNP men) quit such politics, the investors will get encouraged and become confident,” he added.
Quader said the whole world is in crisis, new poverty continues to rise and the pace of development is halted now due to coronavirus pandemic.
In such an adverse situation, he said, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has been showing its skillfulness in keeping the wheels of people’s livelihood smooth apart from protecting their lives.
The AL general secretary said Bangladesh overcame the challenge of maintaining positive growth by maintaining the pace of its economy.
But, he said, Mirza Fakhrul and other BNP leaders cannot see these economic progresses.
“We see BNP as an opponent in the field of politics but BNP considers Awami League as its enemy. BNP has destroyed the working understanding in the country’s politics,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Quader joined the board meeting of Bangladesh Bridge Authority through videoconferencing from his official residence.
Addressing the meeting, he said the construction work of Padma Bridge continues despite having many challenges, while all 41 spans of the bridge have already installed successfully.
The road transport and bridges minister said the construction work of the main bridge has so far completed by 93.5 percent, while the river training work by 83.5 percent.
Noting that the overall progress of the bridge project is 86 percent, he said after completion of the construction work of the Padma Bridge project, it will be opened for vehicular movement by June 2022.
Quader said the overall progress of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, being constructed beneath Karnaphuli River, reached 70 percent.
Secretaries and senior officials of different ministries joined the virtual meeting.
