Staff Correspondent:

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has dismissed Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus’s call for midterm elections as unconstitutional and illegal.

Speaking at a press conference in Dhanmondi on Thursday, Quader criticised the Nobel laureate, adding that Yunus’s demand for midterm elections is a ploy to escape ongoing legal proceedings against him.

He further said that Dr Yunus recently called for foreign governments and the international community to intervene in Bangladesh.

“According to the constitution and laws of Bangladesh, as well as international law, such statements or comments are tantamount to treason. Dr Yunus’s request for mid-term elections is completely unconstitutional and illegal, diminishing Bangladesh’s stature in the international arena. He is a Nobel laureate. Does it suit him to humiliate Bangladesh?” Quader questioned.

Quader said that the current government is constitutionally valid and was elected through democratic elections. Government change is possible only through democratic processes.

The Awami League general secretary accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance of bringing terrorists to Dhaka to indulge in destruction and terrorism. “This is the murder. The investigation is ongoing, and the truth will come out. A child died, shot in the head while observing the movement. The investigation is ongoing, and we cannot influence the investigation committee.”

Quader mentioned that there is news of militant groups infiltrating the protestors’ procession and firing at close range, adding: “There is also the matter of murder to consider.”

He clarified that there was a misinterpretation about the order to shoot on sight, emphasizing that this instruction was not given to law enforcement forces and the army did not fire a shot.

Quader assured that every murder will be investigated and the killers will be identified.

He appealed to law enforcement agencies not to harass any innocent persons and noted that the situation is now normal. He called on everyone to work responsibly in their respective areas.