Staff Reporter :
In a press conference held at the political office of the Awami League President in Dhanmondi, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister, Obaidul Quader, made strong accusations against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), alleging their involvement in supporting hoarders and syndicates to create an anarchic situation regarding commodity prices.
Quader stated, “BNP nurtured the syndicate. It patronized the hoarders. Would it be wrong to say so? Those who are doing these activities are the old syndicates created by BNP.”
He went on to emphasize that the past BNP-led government was business-oriented, while AL did not intend to engage in business activities.
The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to controlling commodity prices, asserting that forces attempting to hatch conspiracies by manipulating prices and dissatisfying the public would not be spared.
Quader also addressed the issue of electricity subsidy, stating that the government aims to reduce it gradually and emphasized the necessity of coordination.
Taking a swipe at BNP’s track record, Quader claimed that during their tenure, electricity prices increased nine times in five years, accompanied by extensive load-shedding.
In contrast, he stated that the AL government, under Sheikh Hasina, has achieved 100% electricity coverage, with a power generation capacity of 29,700 thousand megawatts.
Responding to BNP’s statements about bringing back democracy, Quader pointed out their absence in the recent elections and accused them of resorting to terrorist activities instead.
He expressed confidence that BNP’s negative politics would eventually be acknowledged, emphasizing their biggest mistake as not participating in elections.
Regarding the upcoming upazila elections, Quader predicted that many BNP leaders would participate independently to protect their existence at the grassroots level.
He acknowledged the current economic crisis, attributing it to the global expansion of war and assured that the government is diligently working to mitigate the impact on commodity prices.
Quader concluded by addressing corruption allegations, stating that no one involved in corruption, even if a former minister, would be exempted from accountability.
The press conference was attended by AL Organizing Secretaries, BM Mozammel Haque, and Mirza Azam, Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Abdus Sabur, and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan, among others.