Over Tk 660.24 crore toll has been collected from the Padma Bridge till April 25, said Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday. Besides, 77,529 motorbikes crossed the bridge from 6 am on April 22 till 6 am on April 26 and during this period, Tk 77,52,900 toll were collected, he said while speaking at a view-exchange meeting with the staff of the Bridges Division at the Secretariat. Read more: Tk 603.76 cr toll collected from Padma Bridge till March: Quader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September, said Quader. He also asked the authorities concerned to take steps in advance considering the cattle market, movement of cattle-laden vehicles and rains to ensure smooth journey of people. Presided over by Bridges Division Secretary Md Manjur Hossain, Chief Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Kazi Md Ferdous and project directors of different projects and high officials concerned were present at the meeting.  

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that motorcycles will be allowed to ply the Padma Bridge from 6 am on April 20. “This opportunity has been given at the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on experimental basis,” he said at Ganabhaban. The minister said that motorcycles can cross the Padma Bridge using the service lane.  Quader said that motorcycles should cross the Padma Bridge following the speed limit, and the maximum speed limit for motorcycles will be 60 kilometres per hour. He warned that if discipline is not maintained, the opportunity of riding motorcycles on the Padma Bridge will be cancelled.  The Bridges Division banned motorbike movement on the bridge from 27 June, 2022.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader MP strongly condemned the police attack on journalists during the Supreme Court Bar Association elections, and demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the incident. “Assault on media workers while performing their professional duties is an unforgivable crime,” he said in a statement. Expressing anger over the incident, the Jatiya Party chief also said any attack on innocent journalists while collecting news cannot be accepted in a civilised society. GM Quader deplored that journalists in the country already cannot work independently. “Self-censorship has increased in the country's media due to various repressive laws.” He said the country's media outlets are trying their best to keep the flow of information amid various adversities. “It’s not possible to maintain democracy without full freedom of the press. So, everyone should play a responsible role in flourishing media for the sake of democracy. “All sorts of the safety of media workers should be ensured.” At least 10 journalists were injured as police charged batons on them on the Supreme Court premises amid a scuffle between pro-Awami League and pro-BNP lawyers over the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election on Wednesday. Police attacked journalists when they were taking photos and videos of police action on the pro-BNP lawyers as they engaged in a brawl with the pro-Awami League lawyers during their demonstration demanding the formation of a fresh election conducting committee under an "acceptable" authority.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said no country in the world has a caretaker government except Pakistan. No country in the world talks about caretaker government, it is BNP which talks about it shamelessly, he said. He said these at a food distribution and discussion programme on the occasion of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birthday at Gendaria in the capital. "BNP is talking about caretaker government. They should be ashamed of it," he added. Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is taking the country forward and making it a role model for the world by nurturing Bangabandhu’s ideals. Regarding the letter of 40 world leaders about Yunus, Quader said, "We don't need to think about people who don't think about Bangladesh. He breaks the law himself."

Road Transport and Bridges minister and General Secretary of Awami League Obaidul Quader returned home on Friday night after regular health checkup at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital. A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Awami League leader landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:30pm, said Sheikh Walid Foyez, senior information officer of the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry. Earlier on Wednesday, Quader left for Singapore for a health checkup.  

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday said that the people are the collective owners of the country and they will decide who will govern it and how through their right to franchise. “Not with anyone's mercy, we want to come to power with people’s love. We believe that people are the proprietor of the country and they will decide by whom and how the country will be governed,” he said, while addressing a views-exchange meeting with Jatiya Krishak Party, JP's affiliate among the farmers community, at the Banani Jatiya Party office. If the country does not run properly, then the people of the country will change their representatives through elections again, he said, stating basic democratic ideals, before capturing the reality prevailing in the nation: “Politics of plunder has been created in the country. The more one can plunder, the more respectable he is.” “It is sad that those who want to do good work for the country are not getting the respect they deserve,” the JP chairman, who has been severely impeded in his activities as chair of the party founded by his brother, added. Calling on  the government to bring all the vacant land under agriculture, Quader said, “Police are harassing farmers for little money. The government should provide whatever subsidy is needed to save the farmers.” Jatiya Krishak Party President Sahidur Rahman Teper presided and General Secretary ABM Liaquat Hossain Chakladar moderated the program. Various leaders and activist of Jatiya Krishak Party also were present in the program.

Awami League will remain cautious about BNP’s movement and stay on streets to protect people’s lives and property, said Awami Leaque general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday. “We will be cautious about BNP’s movement as they can’t create any anarchic situation and we won’t change our stance. We are on streets and won’t leave those as we’ll perform our duty to protect the lives and property of people,” he said. Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up remarks while talking to reporters at the Secretariat on the current issues. Replying to a question about BNP’s leadership, Quader said, “Awami League will join the next election under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina but who is BNP’s leader? In the past election they took part in the election under the leadership of Kamal Hossain”. Referring to the Wednesday’s sit-in programme of BNP, the Awami League leader said there was no violence centering the programme but BNP activists hurled brickbats at police in Faridpur and it didn’t turn violent. If they held rally then Awami Leauge will bring out peace procession, he said. Replying to a question about possibility of banning Jamaat-e-Islami, the AL leader said it is the matter of court and no decision has been taken yet from the party to proceed with it. “Without Jammat BNP is powerless as BNP and Jamaat are the two sides of a coin. If it difficult for BNP to move without Jamaat and if they want more people in their programmes they have to depend on Jamaat,” he said.  

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that it is impossible for BNP to come to power by “burning people to death”. “It is not possible to come to power or earn the trust of people by burning them to death. BNP has been known for its terrorist activities or looting,” he said. Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up with the remark while addressing the Chuadanga district Awami League Council at the town football ground in the district town. Read more: Resignation of BNP MPs is a wrong step: Obaidul Quader Quarter-final with BNP is over, now semi-final will be held, and the final game will be held during the national election, said Quader. Referring to the forex reserve issue, the Awami League leader said Tarique Rahman remained absconding after looting money from the country and sending it abroad. “How can they talk about the forex reserves? The country has sufficient reserves,” he assured. Read more: BNP 'half-defeated' through holding rally at Golapbagh: Obaidul Quader After seven years, the triennial conference of Chuadanga district Awami League is being held today (Monday) at the town football ground of the district with more than 50,000 people joining it. Awami League presidium member Kazi Zafar Ullah announced the opening of the council around 11 am while Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader was present as chief guest joining the event virtually.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the BNP is orchestrating violence before the party's rally on December 10 and they know the reason behind this. He came up with the remarks while addressing a public rally at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox's Bazar. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the rally organised by Cox's Bazar Awami League as the chief guest.  "We know the real reason why they want to hold a rally in Nayapaltan. The reason is they can take shelter in the party office, use weapons, and carry out arson attack from there," Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said. "We have heard that the BNP men attacked police in front of their party headquarters in Nayapaltan today," he added. However, the BNP said it will stage demonstrations in all cities and district towns on Thursday to protest "barbaric" police action and mass arrests of the party's leaders and activists in front of its Nayapaltan central office on Wednesday. On September 27, the BNP announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities. The party began the rallies by holding the first one in Chattogram on October 12. The BNP will end its divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10. Read more:  BNP's Dec 10 rally: Obaidul Quader optimistic about a wayout for venue    

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said if the BNP wants to orchestrate violence surrounding its December 10 rally in the capital, the ruling party will take strict measures to stop it with the support of the people. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was speaking with the media at the secretariat Wednesday. "Why did the BNP set December 10 for its rally? Did not the party know the history of Bangladesh?" he asked. "During the Liberation War in 1917, the killing of intellectuals was carried out in Bangladesh from December 10 to 14," Quader said. The AL leader also said the BNP did not choose Suhrawardy Udyan as the venue of its rally, a historical place where Pakistani occupation forces surrendered in 1971 and where all major rallies and national conferences of the ruling party are held. "Why did the BNP choose to hold its rally in a small area in front of its office, where the space is around 35,000 square feet only?" he asked. On September 27, the BNP announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional and big cities. The party began the rallies by holding the first one in Chattogram on October 12.  The BNP will end its divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10. Read more: BNP gears up for Saturday’s rally in Rajshahi