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AL may consider JP for Rangpur-3: Obaidul Quader


Bangladeshpost
Published : 12 Sep 2019 10:16 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 06:47 AM

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said if Jatiya Party (JP) wants to contest the Rangpur-3 by-polls from grand alliance, the ruling Awami League will consider its demand. “JaPa contested in the last election for the seat from the AL-led

alliance, but now JP is the opposition party in the House. If the party wants to participate in the by-polls independently, it is their matter,” he said. “But if they want to contest from the alliance, AL will consider it,” he told reporters at his Secretariat office this morning after holding a meeting between Bangladesh Bridge Authority and Korea Express Corporation at Setu Bhaban in the capital.

Quader, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said no discussion has been held in this regard yet, noting that AL has selected a candidate to contest the Rangpur-3 by-polls. The Rangpur-3 constituency fell vacant following the death of JaPa chairman HM Ershad. Jatiya Party has nominated Saad Ershad, son of HM Ershad, in the by-election.

About toll collection from the country’s highways, Quader said preliminary discussion for toll collection is yet to be held and that is why there is no scope to talk about it now. Blaming BNP, he said the party has no experience of building roads and highways. “When BNP was in power, there was no four-lane road in the country. They were far behind thinking about mega projects like Padma Bridge and metro rail,” the road transport and bridges minister added. BNP leaders clearly know that toll collection system prevails in many countries across the world, but they are now doing hypocrisy over the issue, Quader said. Bridges Division Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, project director of Padma Multiple Bridge Project Md Shafiqul Islam and Bangladesh Bridge Authority chief engineer Quazi Md Ferdous, among others, were present.