Staff Correspondent

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday called upon BNP not to spread confusions among the people over a sensitive issue like COVID-19 vaccines.

He made the call while speaking at a virtual press briefing on contemporary affairs from his official residence.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said: “BNP leaders are deliberately making falsehood about a sensitive issue like coronavirus vaccine. Please don’t spread misleading messages over the vaccines. It is a sensitive issue. Don’t create panic among the commoners to this end.”

Urging the people to keep trust in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and stay alert against propaganda regarding the COVID-19 inoculation, he said the country’s people are very happy seeing that Sheikh Hasina is the reflection of honesty and she is keeping her pledges.

Asking the BNP to do, as a political party, constructive criticism of the government, Quader said like in the past, people will not take BNP’s lying about the vaccines into their account.

He said the government is procuring coronavirus vaccines for the benefit of the country’s people, not for the benefit of particular ones or for business purpose.

Responding to an allegation of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir that the government is committing massive corruption by depriving people of their rights to vote, the AL general secretary asked him to see his face in the mirror.

“Although the BNP has forgotten the voter-less election of the February 15 and the Magura and Dhaka-10 by-elections, the people have not forgotten those yet,” he said.

Replying to another query about the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election, Quader said BNP always creates imaginary stories of defeat by making absurd allegations.

“The CCC polls will be held peacefully. People will be able to exercise their voting right in a free and fair manner. The government will not interfere in the election,” he added.