Ruling out the possibility of any pre-election dialogue with BNP, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed here today said the next national elections will be held under the present government as per the constitution, reports BSS.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina phoned Khaleda Zia before the last parliamentary polls for dialogue, but the BNP chief did not response at that time. She rather resorted to violence and terrorism,” he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of dredging work of the Sreepur-Bhola-Gangapur river route.
Shipping minister Shajahan Khan attended the programme as the special guest.
Tofail Ahmed said continuation of a government is needed for the sake of development. If a government gets scope to continue in power, the country is developed, he said, adding that the present government is running the country in a planned way for the development of the country.
The Awami League advisory committee member said Tk 1600 crore has already been allocated to protect Bhola from river erosion and asked the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to protect the areas facing risks of river erosion.
Shipping minister Shajahan Khan said the present grand alliance government bought 14 dredgers when it came to power first in 2009 and initiatives are now underway to buy 20 more dredgers.
Criticizing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for spreading falsehood about the development activities of the present government, the shipping minister said people's per capita income has increased and there is no shortage of electricity in the country.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) chairman commodore M Mozammel Haq presided over the programme while Zila Parishad chairman Abdul Momin Tulu, district police super Md Moktar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner Subrata Kumar Sikdar, sadar upazila parishad chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain and vice chairman Md Yunus Haji, among others, spoke on the occasion.