Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged the leaders of BNP to participate in the fields of elections and politics.

“The game will be played in the political field. It (game) will be played especially in the field of elections. So, I urge BNP to come to the fields of politics and elections,” he said.

Quader, also the Awami League (AL) general secretary, came up with the call at a discussion organised by Dhaka North and South City units of AL, marking the Imprisonment Day of Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue.

He also called upon the BNP leaders not to play with the fire as their fireplay will be thwarted by AL with the support of the people of the country.

Responding to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s statement that the siren of the government’s collapse is ringing, he said he (Fakhrul) might hear the siren of cars running in the streets.

“If any siren is heard, it will be your (BNP leaders) farewell siren as negative politics has made BNP irrelevant in the political arena,” he added.

Urging the party leaders and workers to be careful to counter the conspiracy of BNP and perpetrators of the then one-eleven political changeover, he said, they are once again conspiring against the country with the help of foreigners.

Highlighting the turmoil situation across the world such as wars, conflicts, price hikes in energy as well as fuel, and inflation, the minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is currently facing big challenges and her government is working relentlessly to deal with these situations.

“The Premier (in such situation) now stays awake all night so that the people of the country can sleep,” he continued.

Lauding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her endeavors in coping with the dire situation prevailing across the globe, Quader said she is successfully dealing with the adverse effects of the country’s floods, COVID-19, and war and maintaining the development trend of the country.

Referring to the imprisonment day of Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it is not only the Imprisonment Day of Sheikh Hasina, but this day is the imprisonment day of the democracy of Bangladesh.

On this day, Sheikh Hasina was imprisoned, which also confined the country’s democracy, he added.

Many people went behind the bars after coming to politics, he said, adding that before the then one-eleven political changeover, BNP was in power but the then caretaker government did not detain the BNP leader rather they detained the opposition leader Sheikh Hasina first.

“Dr Wazed faced misbehavior (during that time). The same scene happened in front of the court in Dhaka. They did not show any respect to Bangabandhu’s daughter,” he said.

He said that if a part of the politicians of this country had not cooperated with the then caretaker government during that time, the situation of one-eleven would not have been created.

Many politicians of that day colluded with the caretaker government and supported the politics of the minus formula.

“Today I want to say that we have to know our enemies and friends as a traitor is always a traitor,” Quader continued.