Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said the remarks made by Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque on the arrest of BNP leaders and proposal over releasing them on condition of joining the upcoming polls was his “personal” opinion.
“His (Razzaque) whole remarks were personal,” he told reporters on Monday, adding that the Awami League is not such a party which will pardon someone’s crimes simply to bring it to the election.
The AL leaders said Awami League is not a bankrupt party and it will never give such a bizarre proposal to the BNP or any other party that breaks the party rules or destroys Awami League's commitment to democracy.
Reiterating his party’s commitment to uphold democracy, Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said such a proposal was neither given by the government nor the party.
He referred to the killing of a policeman at broad daylight, attacks on the Chief Justice’s residence, arson attacks and vandalism of public and private properties.
Twenty feet of rail track was removed by BNP-Jamaat workers, seven coaches veered off the tracks and almost 400 vehicles were burnt in 42 days by BNP-Jamaat, said the government source.
Asked about any possible party actions against such remarks, Quader said it is the decision to be taken by the party. “You can’t intervene.”
In a separate briefing, Abdur razzaque said it was not a party statement. “Certainly, it was my personal remarks. I said these personally.”
During an interview broadcast on Sunday on the private television channel Channel 24, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, a presidium member of the ruling Awami League and the agriculture minister, said the BNP turned down an opportunity to take part in the upcoming election in return for the prompt release of its arrested leaders.
Meanwhile, Quader also criticized the statement made by 40 intellectuals of the country regarding the upcoming 12th national elections.
“Those who are talking about elections without calling for an end to fire terrorism are BNP’s agents, they are implementing the political agenda of the BNP,” he said.