It will go on whether anyone joins or not

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said the process to form the Election Commission will continue whether anyone joins the dialogue or not.

The process which was followed earlier in reconstituting the EC is being followed now, Quader said, referring to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s statement that the president’s dialogue is meaningless and the crisis will not be resolved with it.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said this at a briefing at his residence in the morning.

An election commissioner was appointed from the BNP’s list last time, he said, adding, “A strong election commission cannot be formed by delivering speech in the media. A process should be followed for the EC formation. This will prove whether BNP wants a strong Election Commission or prefers to create a controversy,” he also said.

About Fakhrul’s comment that the country has been identified as an undemocratic one due to the government’s “misdeeds”, Quader said BNP, in fact, is obstructing the democratic progress of the country in every step.

He expressed hope that BNP will come forward to help form a strong EC by shunning negative politics.

In response to the allegation of BNP leaders that the government is lying about Khaleda Zia’s treatment, Quader said,  “There’s no truth in their statements due to their endless lies and they’ve been relying on lies and bad politics since the beginning of Khaleda’s case.”

To establish the notion that captive Khaleda is more powerful, he said, they did not even try to get her released, nor did they fight a legal battle.

Quader also mentioned that Sheikh Hasina has set an example of generosity and humanity towards Khaleda Zia.