Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader returned home from Singapore on Thursday evening after a routine health checkup in Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Ershad, Khaleda rewarded main perpetrator of Ctg mass killings: Foreign Minister A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the minister landed in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) from  Singapore in the evening, said a media release signed by Sheikh Wahlid Fayez, senior information officer of the ministry. Global leaders congratulating new govt is driving BNP insane: Hasan Mahmud Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, left Dhaka for Singapore on January 23 for going through his health check-up, reads the release. Party symbol to be withheld in upazila elections: Quader

Bangladesh's Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on August 20, 2023 announced the toll rates for Dhaka Elevated Expressway, partially opening today (September 02, 2023). Tolls will be collected from vehicles plying the expressway in four categories, the minister said in a press briefing at the conference room of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Bridges in Secretariat on Sunday. Also read: Dhaka Elevated Expressway’s airport to Farmgate section to be inaugurated by PM on Sept 2 Private cars, microbuses (<16 seats) and mini-trucks (<3 tonnes) will have to pay Tk 80, medium-sized trucks (up to 6 wheels) and large trucks with more than 6 wheels will pay Tk 320 and Tk 400 respectively. Meanwhile, all buses and minibuses with 16 or more seats will have to pay Tk 160 to ply the Kawla-Farmgate section of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway.  Also read: PM to inaugurate Agargaon-Motijheel section of Dhaka Metro Rail on Oct 20 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 11.5 km section of the much anticipated Dhaka Elevated Expressway on September 2. A rally will be held at the old trade fair ground in Dhaka’s Agargaon marking the inauguration. Also read: Toll rates fixed for Karnaphuli tunnel

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that BNP is “preparing to foil the election through violence.” “We will not leave the country in the hands of Pakistan’s friends. The country, democracy, development—nothing is safe with them,” he said. The road, transport, and bridges minister made the remarks while addressing a views-exchange meeting at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka this morning. Read: No possibility of conflict from AL side on July 27 but govt will ensure safety of lives and property: Quader  He also urged party leaders and activists to fight for the country. “We are going to start a campaign in September—with the aim to win the election, taking all the pro-liberation war forces under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Quader added. He said that Awami League wants free, fair and peaceful elections. "But BNP, which does not believe in public support, is stockpiling firearms to contest the elections," he said. Read: Nothing will be gained through conspiracy: Home Minister to BNP “As Ziaur Rahman did not come to power with public support, BNP too does not have confidence in the people. They (BNP) also know what the election results will be like,” the AL leader said. Urging party activists to remain alert, Quader said that BNP wants conflict. Among others, Awami League presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Advocate Kamrul Islam and Dr. Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin; joint general secretaries Dr. Hasan Mahmud and AFM Bahauddin Nashim; leaders of all associate bodies of the party were also present at the meeting.  

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday (April 06, 2023) told parliament that Tk 603.76 crore tolls have been collected from Padma Bridge till March since its inauguration on June 25, 2022. The minister said this in reply to a tabled question from Awami League MP Benjir Ahmed elected from Dhaka-20. Quader said after the launch of Bangabandhu Bridge on June 23, 1998, Tk 7697.71 crore have been collected as toll as of March. In response to another question from Morshed Alam, a lawmaker from Noakhali-2, Quader said that about 6,000 buses of various transport companies including Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) ply Dhaka city. Also read: Repayment of Padma Bridge loan starts with Tk 316.91 crore given to govt He also said E-ticketing is available on a number of BRTC routes. Apart from this, e-ticketing has been launched in 3,300 buses of 69 companies out of 97 private transport companies under the supervision of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, he said. Quader informed the House that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is monitoring these activities. He said that soon the e-ticketing system will be introduced in the buses of rest of the companies. Read More: Govt to assist Bangabazar businesses to recover from fire damages: PM Hasina In reply to another query, Quader said that currently there is no research programme to reduce road accidents in the country. With Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, the question-answer session of today’s parliament sitting was placed on the table.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that media in Bangladesh can spread lies against the government as those are ‘independent’. “If the government has any control over the media, then how is it criticising the government and spreading lies about it daily?” the ruling party’s number two man asked, referring to a comment of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul. At a regular briefing, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said the BNP was still alive after drubbing in polls and failing to launch street protests thanks to the ‘independent media’. Also read: Bangladesh drops one notch in World Press Freedom Index Bangladesh was ranked 152 in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index (https://rsf.org/en/bangladesh), slipping one notch. Tackling pandemic Quader said cash and food assistance are being provided to 36.5 million helpless, unemployed and low-income families and warned against irregularities in the distribution process. Mentioning that the government is working tirelessly to help the people during the pandemic, Quader said that it is providing financial and food assistance to protect the unemployed.

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday called upon all to forge a united resistance against the incidents of rape and violence against women.

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said that about half of the metro rail’s construction work has been finished.

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said there has been a positive progress in discussion on sharing the water of common rivers including Teesta.

Approximately 90 percent work of main part of the Padma Bridge has been completed along with 81 percent overall progress in the project, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Friday.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday ordered the Roads and Highways Department to remove posters and banners from the key Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.