Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now doing politics over road accidents after being failure in movement.

"After practicing constant negative politics and making falsehood, BNP is now passing such a situation that if a person dies in a lightning strike, the party is getting involved in putting its blame on the government," he said in a statement.

Condemning and protesting a statement of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir over a road accident that took place on Sunday, he said Fakhrul's remarks over the road accident was politically motivated and fabricated one. 

"But, the country's road communication sector was the most neglected sector during the BNP regime," Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said.

He said after assuming power, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave the most priority to the road communication sector and now a revolutionary change is now visible in this sector under her skilled leadership. 

"BNP is ashamed of acknowledging this truth," he added.

Seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of those who killed in the road accident occurred yesterday and expressing sympathy to the bereaved families, the road transport and bridges minister said: "Every death is painful. We do not want any death on roads. Road condition was not responsible for the accident took place at Kutubpur under Shibganj upazila in Madaripur."

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is relentlessly working to bring discipline back on the road and transport sector.

Meanwhile, Quader said, the long-cherished rules were formulated under the Road Transport Act-2018 and the works continue to gradually upgrade the country's national highways into six lanes.

"The accident-prone zones have been made risk-free under a project and initiatives have been taken to make other spots free from risk. Necessary signs and signals are being installed," he said.    

Four rest corners were built in Sirajganj, Cumilla, Habiganj and Magura for transport drivers carrying goods, the road transport minister said.

He said mandatory refreshment training on skill and awareness are being imparted to drivers before reissuing licenses. 

During the 2021-2022, training was given to 62,900 professional drivers and this programme continues, Quader added.

As per the instruction of the prime minister, dupe test reports have been taken while issuing and reissuing licenses to the professional drivers.

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP is the first ‘king’s party’ of the country founded by Ziaur Rahman.

“Ziaur Rahman after usurping to power formed BNP through distributing leftover of power,” he said while replying to a query of reporters at his office at secretariat here.

About the recent role of civil society and intellectuals, Dr Hasan said, “We saw different statements of intellectuals with importance. But unfortunately they are silent when the arson attacks are carrying out on public transports and public properties. Many people became victims of the arson attacks.”

He said those subversive activities will be stopped when the conscious people, journalists and civil society would raise their voice against them. But it is regrettably true that the so-called civil society didn’t make any statement against the violence of BNP-Jamaat, he added.

Dr Hasan said, “I think that the so-called civil society who makes statements time to time should be identified as opportunists. I would like to urge the journalists to identify them and unmask them.”

Criticising a comment of BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the minister said most of the BNP leaders from top to bottom are leaving the party. “I’ve a question to BNP leaders that why they do the politics of BNP? The top leader of the party is not allowed anyone to participate any election whatever it is at union, upazila or national level.”

Being annoyed with BNP’s subversive politics many leaders and workers would leave the party, Hasan Mahmud said hoping that BNP would refrain from such evil politics.

Replying to another query over poll, Dr Hasan said it is not mentioned in the constitution that an election would not be acceptable if a particular political party does not take part in the election. 

Many elections were held in Bangladesh in the past where many political parties remained absent, he said, adding even a political party led by a big leader didn’t take part in 1970’s election.

The information minister said BNP and other political parties didn’t take part in city corporation polls. But, the countrymen took part in those polls, he said.

:BSS