BNP begins new game over Dr Yunus: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said after failing in waging a movement, BNP has now started a new game over Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus. "BNP leaders failed in movement and now they have begun a new game over Dr Muhammad Yunus. They see the nightmare of 1/11 changeover. This evil game will not be allowed to be played on the soil of Bangla," he told a discussion here.

Bangladesh Secretariat Officers-Employees Okiya Parishad organised the discussion at the Secretariat, marking the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day.

Speaking as the chief guest, Quader said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other BNP leaders are dreaming of the 1/11 (changeover) after stumbling in the movement.

"They want to foil the peaceful election environment in Bangladesh. We will not allow this evil game to be played," he said.

The AL general secretary said Dr Yunus does not go to the National Memorial or Shaheed Minar and even he does not go to the people who are affected by floods and cyclones.

But, he said, Mirza Fakhrul gave statements in favour of that person who has no involvement in the happiness and sorrow of Bangladesh.

"Will he (Yunus) be exempted from charges of all offenses as he was awarded with the Nobel Prize? He misappropriated the money of workers and evaded tax. US$ 2 million was spent to buy the space (for advertisement) where the international dignitaries made a statement in favour of Yunus," he said.

"Now the question is - where did this money come from?" Quader said.

He said many world leaders have many dreams about Bangladesh and this territory, and that is why they demand postponement of the trial of the cases filed against Dr Yunus.

"How will the case trials be suspended? You made a statement in the air. Again, I feel a little confused when we see you are seeking free and fair elections. There was another part of this statement. The real issue is the free and fair elections...keeping it in front, (they want to) foil the elections in Bangladesh and destroy the peaceful environment of the elections," the AL general secretary said.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee, among others, also spoke in the discussion.

BSS