Morning Voice Desk: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said the people didn’t see any progress during BNP regime as the party had looted public poverty through its alternative powerhouse-Hawa Bhaban and thus brought shame for the nation by making the country champions in corruptions for consecutive five times. “The people didn’t get anything (good) from BNP. In the name of running the country, BNP made the country world champions for five consecutive times after looting public property through Hawa Bhaban,” he said, reports BSS.

The minister said while addressing a rally of distinguished personalities at the Old Trade Fair Ground in the city’s Agargaon marking the inauguration of a portion of Dhaka Elevated Expressway on Saturday afternoon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the rally as the chief guest. Her younger sister Sheikh Rehana was also present on the dais.

Highlighting development activities taken place during the AL tenures, Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said mega projects including the Padma Bridge and a portion of metro-rail have already been inaugurated easing the communication while Bangabandhu Tunnel beneath the Karnaphuli river in Chattogram will be opened soon.

Terming fugitive convict BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman as a coward, he said Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique fled the country in 2007 giving a bond that he won’t do politics anymore and now BNP is claiming that Tarique is their movement’s leader. Noting that the people don’t support this ‘looter’, Quader urged all to fight against the looters. About the next general elections, he said final game will be played in December and hoped that the pro-liberation forces will be victorious. Mentioning that the political opponents including BNP are happy as the US imposed visa sanctions on Sierra Leone, he said BNP had committed the misdeeds what West African country did now.

On March 20 in 1994, the by-polls to Magura-2 parliamentary constituency during the BNP regime became a symbol of rigged election while more than a crore of fake voters were included in the voter’s list during BNP regime between 2001 and 2006, he recalled. Addressing foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations present at the function, the minister said the government will extend all-out support to hold a free, fair and credible election. He said BNP only made demand that elected government of Sheikh Hasina should be ousted which is completely unconstitutional.

Electoral rule of any democratic country except Pakistan doesn’t have such provision, he said. Highlighting Sheikh Hasina’s steadfast leadership in taking the country forward, the minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had brought independence for the nation and his illustrious daughter gave economic emancipation. Bangalee nation will never forget the two things and Bangabandhu and his daughter will remain in the people’s hearts forever.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Dhaka mayors Atiqul Islam and Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Rawshan Ara Mannan, lawmakers Habib Hasan and Mohammad Ali Arafat were present. Bridges Secretary Manjur Hossain delivered welcome address.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country’s much-anticipated Dhaka Elevated Expressway, first of its kind, by unveiling the name plaque at its Kawla end near Dhaka airport at 3.30 pm. Then she got on the expressway after providing toll at Kawla end and reached the rally venue at Agargaon plying on the around 11-km expressway in only 14 minutes. She unveiled the inaugural plaque and joined a doa and munajat.