Quader Denies Razzaque's Statement

The statement given by Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque is his personal opinion, Quader says.

Contradicting the Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque's words in a televised interview, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday (December 18) said neither the government nor the AL proposed to the BNP that their leaders would be released from jail if they agreed to participate in the polls.

"The statement given by the agriculture minister is his personal opinion. Awami League is not a bankrupt party, it can never be right that Awami League will give such a bizarre proposal by violating the party rules and regulations and breaking its commitment to democracy," said Quader in response to a journalist's question.

He was briefing reporters at the AL president's political office in the capital's Dhanmondi.

"Our government did not give such a proposal, neither did our party. We have not made any such proposal as a party," Quader added.

The Al General Secretary also said they do not even acknowledge that 20,000 BNP leaders and activists are in jail.

" I have asked Mirza Fakhrul many times, how many of your activists are in jail. Not everyone will believe such a bizarre 20,000 number. There is no reason to believe it. Not so many people have been arrested," said Quader.

During an interview with Channel 24, a private TV channel, Awami League presidium member and Agriculture Minister Razzaque said BNP leaders currently in jail were offered release if they participated in the January 7 national election.

However, the BNP did not accept the proposal, he added.

Razzaque said in response to a question, "Had the 20,000 BNP leaders and activists not been arrested, would you have seen the cars that are plying the streets today amid hartal? We had no other alternatives. Whatever we did, we did thoughtfully."

According to UNB, in a separate briefing today, Razzaque said it was not a party statement. "Certainly, it was my personal remarks. I said it personally."