Staff correspondent :

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today reiterated that the next general elections would be held in line with the provisions of the country’s constitution, not on the advice of any external power.To BNP, fair election means the defeat of the Awami League – if the AL is defeated, the polls will be fair. Will Awami League prove, by losing in elections, that the polls are free and fair? No matter how much doubt is there, free and fair elections will be held in this country as per the constitution,” he said.Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was speaking at a discussion at ISKCON Swamibag Ashram here on the occasion of Sri Sri Jagannathdev’s Rath Yatra festival.”There are concerns among some people over the elections. I want to say one thing…we have also seen elections in the country in the past. Every time there was concern ahead of elections but bright morning came closer after the polls,” he said. The AL general secretary said their party is not going to the elections considering anyone’s visa policy or sanctions as it always gives priority to the country’s constitution and its people.Terming India a time-tested friend, he said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to the United States (US) and it has no relations with the politics of Bangladesh. “There are many issues in today’s world like war, inflation and energy crisis. We have not discussed with India whether there will be any talk about Bangladesh there,” he added.Quader said the US visa policy is going to be implemented to make elections free and fair in Bangladesh and whether the Indian premier has anything to do, as a democratic country, is up to him from his point of view.He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed her greetings and best wishes to the followers of Sanatan religion on the occasion of Sri Sri Jagannathdev’s Rath Yatra and she assured that the Awami League will always remain beside them.”You should never think yourselves as minority. Like other religions, you are also first class citizens of the country. You and Muslim voters have the equal rights. All the people of Bangladesh are first class citizens. All of us liberated the country together through a long Liberation War,” the AL general secretary said.Chaired by ISKCON Bangladesh general secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, the meeting was addressed, among others, by AL organising secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, its executive committee member Nirmal Chatterjee, director of Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka Mrinmoy Chakraborty and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee president Manindra Kumar Nath.After the discussion, a colorful procession was brought out on the occasion. Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Kumar Verma inaugurated the Rath Yatra.

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