Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said convicted fugitive and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is trying to destroy the country’s politics staying in London.

He made the remark while speaking at the opening ceremony of a polling agent training programme at the Dhaka District AL office in city’s Tejgaon.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, convener of the AL polling agent training sub-committee and AL nominated candidate for Dhaka-9, presided over the event.

Quader, also the road transport and bridge minister, said in many countries of the world, many political parties boycott the elections but such sabotage that BNP is carrying out is rarely found.

“The BNP leader (Tarique) is not here. He is staying in London. He fled the country on undertaking,” he added.

He said Tarique is not doing politics now but he is destroying politics and hatching plot to destroy the country’s democracy.

Quader said military dictator Ziaur Rahman and his wife Begun Khaleda Zia killed the democracy. It is normal that those who started the politics of killing-conspiracy will halt advancement of the country’s democracy, he added.

“It is urgent to hold fair elections to save democracy. We did not want the opposition party to remain out of the elections. If they joined the polls, it would have been more competitive. Although they (BNP) are not in the field of elections, a festive atmosphere is prevailing centering the polls,” he said.

The AL general secretary said some opposition parties did not stop by boycotting the election but now they are trying to foil the polls through terrorist acts.

Their terrorist acts have taken a terrible form and are creating sabotage, he said.

He said BNP-Jamaat men are carrying out attacks on public transport and they also conducted attacks on trains several times.

Quader said BNP thought that there would be no voter turnout in polls without BNP but is a nightmare. Having failed in the movement, the BNP is spreading anti-election propaganda, he said.

About the obsolete caretaker government issue, he said the caretaker government system is now a dead issue and there is no need to revive it.

“Pakistan is not a good example of democracy because they also have the caretaker government system. Elections will be held in our country the way polls are being conducted in other democratic countries….the Election Commission (EC) will perform its responsibility,” the AL general secretary said.

He said no one from the AL will spoil the voting environment but it will support if the EC takes any action in case of violation of electoral code of conduct.

Quader said the reputation of the AL must be protected while all polling agents must abide by the rules and regulations.

“We want to hold this election peacefully and we don’t want to get any blame. Sheikh Hasina wants this too. We have to fulfill her wish,” he said.

The Awami League imparted training upon its polling agents in two sessions from 10 am to 4 pm on Tuesday for the 12th national elections. AL’s Polling Agent Training Sub-Committee is conducting this training programme.

-BSS.