CT News Online

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said a decision has been taken to withdraw the AL candidates from several seats wherein Jatiya Party candidates are participating in the upcoming national elections. 

"Jatiya Party has its own demand. A certain number of seats are being left to them. There will be no candidate of boat in the seats which will be left for them," he told a press conference at AL President's Dhanmondi political office here this afternoon. 

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the AL has reached a consensus with Jatiya Party and no untoward situation emerged to this end.

 Details about the candidature will be disclosed soon, he added. 

"How can the election be a sharing one where there 28 political parties and about 2,200 candidates are participating in? All must remain united to resist the call of BNP to boycott the elections," he said. 

Responding to a question, Quader said he does not have any information that Jatiya Party will quit the elections. 

"The Awami League has reached a consensus with them...we sat and discussed not only seat-sharing but also the urgency for unity among like-minded parties joining the polls to resist the BNP's call of boycotting the elections," he said.

 The AL general secretary said on December 16, a BNP leader termed the "Victory Day" a day of defeat. "Defeat is for BNP-Jamaat and those who are friends of Pakistan. They don't do politics for people and they don't believe in democracy. Their rosy dreams will not come true although they are plotting to foil the elections through conspiracy, violence and sneak attacks," he added.

 AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and organising secretaries BM Mozammel Haque and Mirza Azam were present, among others, at the press conference.