Online Desk: Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said the ruling party never wants conflict with BNP but it wants competition with that party. “BNP has made democracy hostage. Those who make democracy hostage at home, how will they establish democracy in the country? From the beginning, we wanted competition with BNP, not confrontation,” he said. “There is no way to change the government without elections,” Quader told a joint meeting of AL organised at the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

The joint meeting was arranged with the central AL leaders and the presidents and general secretaries of the AL North and North city units and AL’s affiliated organisations. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said form the beginning, the AL has been considering the BNP as a political opponent and seeking relations of competition with the party. But, he said, the BNP always think that the Awami League is its enemy and that is why it is showing enmity to the AL. “The obvious ally of this enmity is conspiracy.” About the BNP’s movement, the AL general secretary said the BNP has been staying in the political field for the last one year but the AL is holding peace rallies in concern of terrorism. “When the BNP will wage a movement, we (AL) will hold peace rallies. They (BNP) will hold a rally at Nayapalton, we will hold a rally at Uttara. On December 10 last, they held a rally in the capital and we held a rally at Savar,” he said.

Informing that the next general elections will be held in December this year, Quader said once the elections approach, various rumours and propaganda spread. “Today, we started a clear journey towards polls. Our party is taking preparations for elections,” he said. If the Awami League announces any programme, some media outlets reflect the tune of BNP, he said, adding that the AL is not holding counter-meetings and rallies. “They (BNP) have been holding road march and rallies in the name of movement and we are holding peace rallies,” Quader said.

AL presidium member Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, Quamrul Islam and Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin, joint general secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, SM Kamal Hossain, Mirza Azam, Afzal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, information and research secretary Dr Selim Mahmud, office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, relief and social welfare affairs secretary Aminul Islam Amin, agriculture and cooperatives affairs Faridunnahar Laily, education and human resource affairs secretary Shamsun Nahar Chapa, deputy publicity and publication secretary Syed Abdul Awal Shamim, deputy office secretary Sayem Khan and executive members Shahabuddin Faraji and Sanjida Khanam were, among others, present at the meeting.