Quader Urges BNP to Join Polls for Survival

The survival of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will be at stake if it boycotts the next parliamentary elections, said ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday.

He made the remarks in response to a question at a media briefing at his Secretariat office this morning, reports UNB.

Quader hoped that the BNP would participate in the elections if it wants to survive.

The AL leader strongly refuted his BNP counterpart Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's frequent allegation that Bangladesh has no democracy.   

He wanted to know from Fakhrul as to why he did not take part in the Parliament despite being elected in the last polls.

Quader reiterated that the Awami League wants a strong opposition in the country and welcomes all registered political parties in the next elections.

BNP, he said, will come to the polls at the eleventh hour as party has to survive, he said.

Quader, who is also the minister of road transport and bridges, termed the request road accidents as frustrating.

He said the government was thinking of taking more effective action to prevent the accidents.