CHATTOGRAM,  – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today trashed the demand of BNP for holding fresh elections and urged the party to take preparations for the next national polls to be held after five years.

“The government had run the country successfully after the 2014 election. It will run the country for the next five years too. You (BNP) should take preparations for the next polls,” he said, speaking at a reception held at Zilla Parishad auditorium here.

Abudhabi Bangabandhu Parishad (ABP) accorded the reception to its president Iftekhar Hossain Babul.

Hasan, also the publicity and publication secretary of Awami League, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited all parties and alliances, especially those joined the dialogues before the general elections, for a tea party. But it’s really miserable that BNP and Oikya Front didn’t respond, he added.

“It is quite normal that BNP and their alliances won’t go to the PM’s party as they do negative politics. They do politics by killing and burning people,” he said.

Hasan said, “It’s natural that the BNP chief who changed her date of birth to make mockery with the August 15 massacre and cut cake on the day won’t join the Prime Minister’s tea party.”

The minister said the Bangladeshis are meritorious. They are doing well across the globe. The expatriates are living abroad along with reputation, he added.

He said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done a lot for the wellbeing of the expatriates. The government also honoured the expatriates who are sending more remittance, he added.

Hasan urged the expatriates to remain alert against the people who are trying to disgrace the country through their misdeeds.

Chattogram Zilla Parishad Member Akther Uddin Mahmud Parvej, Ranguniya upazila Awami League President Khalilur Rahman, Ranguniya upazila chairman Mohammad Ali Shah and ABP leader Mohammad Jamir Hossain, among others, spoke in the function with Monirul Alam Chowdhury Moni in the chair.