11th general election: AL decides to punish rebel candidates

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the party has decided to punish rebel candidates, who had joined the 11th national parliamentary election defying its decision.

He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters following the presidium members meeting at the political office of the party’s president in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Monday.

"The decision will be effective after the Prime Minister’s returning home from Germany," said  Quader.

Asked whether Jamaat can form party with a new name, Quader uttered a proverb “old-wine-in-a-new-bottle” saying if the old ideology exists, new name won’t bring any changes.

About BNP’s decision to boycott upazila parishad elections, the AL general secretary said BNP-Jamaat and Oikyafront fear to take part in the upcoming UZs election following their miserable defeat in the December 30 parliamentary polls.

Quader said the Election Commission will extend all-out cooperation in holding the UZ election in a participatory and peaceful manner.

AL joint general secretaries Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, office secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, cultural affairs secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, relief and social welfare secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, science and technology affairs secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur, forest and environment affairs secretary Delwar Hossain, among others, were present on the occasion.