Govt has no discomfort over US statement about election: Quader

The Awami League government is not in the slightest discomfort over the statement of the United States about the 7 January parliamentary election, said AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday.

In a statement, Washington recently said the 12th parliamentary polls were not free or fair.

"We have a relationship with the United States. We are patient enough to make the relationship better. And US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas talked about taking the relationship with Bangladesh forward," said Quader at a press conference at the AL president's office at Dhanmondi in the capital.

"BNP's non-participation in the election was part of a conspiracy against the country's sovereignty. Even after the election, the evil forces identified under the leadership of BNP are trying to make the election controversial," said the AL leader.

"There were local and foreign forces in play to install an unelected person in power in an undemocratic way," he added.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said, "Sheikh Hasina has proved that an election is possible under an elected government. If BNP had participated in this election, it would have been more competitive. However, the election was not voter-free and uncontested in their absence."

Regarding BNP being quiet, AL general secretary said, "They [BNP] are now gathering strength for major violence. I want them to return to positive politics from negative politics."

AL organising secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam, Afzal Hossain, Sujit Roy Nandi and Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, among others, were present at the press conference.