Staff Reporter:
Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said their party is not worried about election observers.
He made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the AL President’s Dhanmondi political office here.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said various confusions and slanders have been spread over the upcoming general elections.
“Many thought that foreign election observers would not respond. But over 100 foreign observers have already responded to come. We are not worried about this,” he said.
The AL general secretary said Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation at the European Union to Bangladesh, claimed that the whole world wants to see the 12th parliamentary elections of Bangladesh as a democratic, acceptable, peaceful and participatory one.
“We agree with them. We also want what the European Union has said about the elections,” he said.
Urging all AL candidates and leaders and workers to follow the instructions of the Election Commission (EC) on the polls, Quader said the party candidates, leaders and workers should abide by the instructions of the Commission.
Only then, an instance of free, fair and neutral elections could be established, he added.
Assuring that the allies of the 14-party alliance would not be made disappointed, the AL general secre-tary said there is no confusion over the alliance as there is still the time. “But no one will be nominated unless he/she has the capacity to win,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said the government expects that US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas would follow the diplomatic norms as an envoy.
About the BNP’s participation in the elections, Quader said BNP has made its stance clear over the par-ticipation in the 12th national elections, so there is no scope to talk to the party leaders.
AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua were, among others, present at the press conference.
