Bangladesh
Information Minister BNP's vote-boycott call overshadowed by festive atmosphere of election: Hasan Mahmud
Dhaka, Nov 21: Information Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud commented that BNP's call to boycott the election has been overshadowed by the widespread excitement and enthusiasm that has arisen over the election. He said, the election festival has started.
He made this comment during an exchange of views with journalists on contemporary issues at the Ministry's meeting room at the Secretariat on Monday, November 20.
The minister said, "Awami League's nomination papers are being sold with great enthusiasm. On Sunday, I walked one and a half kilometers to collect the nomination papers. Our general secretary could not enter due to the crowd."
Hasan Mahmud said, "You know that BNP-Jamaat terrorists set fire to 18 vehicles in the last 48 hours. No one is accepting the blockade-hartal, the people and even the supporters of BNP have no involvement with it. The programme that Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is announcing online is nothing but the program of burning cars or setting fire to public and private properties. A school and a standing train were set on fire, three coaches were burnt."
The information minister said, "These are not the work of any political party, these are anti-national activities. They have turned into enemies of the country and society."
In response to the question whether BNP will come to the elections or whether there will be a dialogue or not, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said, "We don't want to hold elections without anyone, we want to hold elections with everyone. If someone does not come to the election, it is not the responsibility of the government or the Awami League to bring them. Whether or not BNP participates in the elections is their own business. But by talking about resisting elections, creating chaos in the public life, burning cars, these are not the work of any political party. They are the work of the perpetrator. Those who set fire to cars like this and send that video to the leaders and the leaders say that if they set fire, they will be promoted, can there be a dialogue with them? What does your conscience say about that?"
Awami League joint general secretary Hasan Mahmud said, "The United States is our close ally. The US has a very good multi-dimensional relationship with us. We have multi-dimensional cooperation especially in combating militancy and terrorism."
