No rallies in Dhaka on working day: Quader

Citing traffic congestion as a problem, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said no rallies will be allowed to hold anywhere in Dhaka on a working day.

Political parties will go for rallies and processions ahead of the upcoming general election that will be the cause of acute traffic jam on the streets, Quader said this while addressing a function at the Dhaka South City Corporation building today.

"No social, cultural and political organisation will be allowed to stage or bring out rallies or processions blocking roads in the city," Quader, also road transport and bridge minister, said.

Apart from this, government and non-government organisations will not be allowed to bring out a procession marking their founding anniversary on a working day, Quader said.

The Awami League leader also instructed the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) to formulate a policy to make the efforts a success.     

"We have announced that we would not hold any programme in Dhaka on the working day and we are still complying with the decision. Then where is the problem to follow the path by other parties?" Quader said.

He said, January 4 was the 70th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, but the BCL men brought out their procession yesterday (Saturday) instead of January 4, considering the traffic jam.

"Despite this, there was a bit of traffic jam. It was in tolerable level," Quader claimed ignoring yesterday's sufferings in city deadlock.

A BNP-Jamaat leader in Sweden plotting disappearances

Earlier in a separate programme, Quader held a BNP-Jamaat leader, who went into hiding in Sweden after the January 5 general elections, responsible for the incident of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh.

“His name is Nahid. He along with other leaders and activists of BNP-Jamaat carried out subversive activities before and after the January 5 general election in 2014. From Sweden, he has been plotting the disappearance,” he said.

Quader, came up with the remarks at a photo exhibition which he inaugurated as the chief guest at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

“Nahid is leading several killing groups in Bangladesh from abroad,” the minister said.

Awami League Publicity and Publications Sub-Committee organised the programme to exhibit photos of sabotage carried out before and after the January 5 elections.