The government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against offenders, Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Friday.

"Wrongdoers must be brought to justice no matter how influential they are," he warned.

Quader said while exchanging views with journalists at the AL's central office in the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue.

He said no matter how influential a person is, he or she can commit crimes. The question is whether the government has shown its honesty and courage to bring them to justice, he added.

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has that courage and no offender would be spared, he said.

He said the country's judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are independent and if someone is found to be a criminal there, the government will not give protection to the person even if he is a former inspector general of police (IGP) or former army chief.

"Anyone found involved in wrongdoings will be brought to justice," he warned

Regarding BUET student Abrar murder, Quader said those who were convicted were all Chhatra League men but the government did not give them protection.

The government did not give protection to anyone too after Biswajit's murder, he said, adding: "A person can commit crimes. But why will the government give him or her protection? We consider offenders as offenders no matter how powerful he or she is. If a person commits offenses, he or she must be punished."

Referring to a statement of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir that the ruling AL government is running misrule and oppression, Quader said Mirza Fakhrul's mental trauma seems to have reached a terrible level.

"Fakhrul and his party men are far away from the reality. They failed in movement. They have lost all," he said.

Obaidul Quader said that no ordinary citizen faced jail-oppression-harassment during the reign of Awami League government and said that those who killed the police and set fire to the police hospital were criminals. They were for their involvement in terrorism, arson not as BNP men, he added.

Awami League General Secretary said that BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir gave a statement on behalf of a Chapainawabganj  Jatiotabadi Sessasebok Dal leader after he was arrested with weapons. “The practice of BNP on behalf of murderers is still going on. All BNP leaders are out of jail. So who is torturing them? Obaidul Quader posed a question.

Quader said over 42 percent of the country's people cast their votes in the last general elections and this rate is satisfactory compared to other countries.

In the 15 February elections held during the BNP regime, the BBC reported that its voter turnout was only 5 percent, while the then Election Commission (EC) reported that the turnout was 21 percent, he said.

In the first phase of the upazila elections, the AL general secretary said, the EC reported that the voter turnout was more than 36 percent, while over 37 percent in the second phase.

Obaidul Quader said, “We are running the country with the mandate of people. BNP is making nonsense statements like a lost wayfarer.”