Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the government is working to bring down prices of essential commodities to make those affordable for common people, terming it one of the challenges for the present government.

“Soaring the prices of essentials is a reality. . . Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her first cabinet meeting, directed to take effective measures in this regard and we have already started working on it,” Quader, also Awami League general secretary, told journalists after the meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Kumar Verma at Bangladesh Secretariat office here.

Referring to many challenges regarding contemporary issues, he added: “Implementation of election manifesto is very challenging. It is tough to create job facilities for one crore youths in five years, arrest the price spiral of essentials, and overcome the crises of dollar, reserve and energy as well.”

Stating that India has behaved like a good neighbour in view of our elections, the senior minister said this friendly behavior of the neighbouring state was necessary as some foreign friends remained active to destabilize the country.

Country’s some oppositions in collusion with some foreign countries tried to destabilize the country in many ways, and he admitted that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have broken the wall of doubt and mistrust in the friendly relations between the two countries.

“I see no reason of strife in Indo-Bangla ties in the days,” the AL minister added.

Replying to a query that politics is being heated up, Obaidul Quader said, “If there comes any obstacle in any work of the new government, we have to overcome it and if BNP launch any violent program here with any general program, then we have to deal with it strictly because we are in power, we must provide security of people’s life and property.”

On BNP leaders’ statement, the AL general secretary said all the dreams of BNP had so far have turned into nightmares.

BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Saturday came out after a long time hiding, Quader mentioned that he did not get an answer as to where he (Roy) had been running away for so long.

He categorically said, “We have the honest courage to face difficult times, overcome challenges. We did it earlier. We can do it in the future. We will fulfill the responsibility that we have taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”

Regarding the recent tension on the Myanmar border, the road transport minister said, “I will go for a solution by discussing with Myanmar. We will not go into conflict.”

Asked about ‘how the government will balance with different countries?’, Obaidul Quader said the country needs development, investment and money.
The minister said, “We can ask Japan, China too . . . If they give what I need for development, then where is our problem?”

-BSS.