Obaidul Quader refutes report on Saber Chowdhury, bdnews24.com stands by its report

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has issued a rejoinder protesting against a bdnews24.com report on his comments about Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP.

bdnews24.com published the report titled “AL gave Saber Hossain Chowdhury ticket to win seat, not for ideology: Quader” on a discussion between the road transport and bridges minister and a group of Indian journalists in Dhaka on Feb 21.

In the rejoinder sent by Bridges Division Information Officer Sheikh Walid Fayez on Saturday, Quader said, “The headline is incorrect and misleading.”

Walid said in the rejoinder, “The honourable minister, citing the strategic position during the 1996 national elections, said that the Awami League nominated comparatively popular leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury in the 1996 elections instead of a longtime, dedicated and tested leader of Dhaka city, Mozaffar Hossain Paltu.”

bdnews24.com stands by the report

As a standard professional practice bdnews24.com correspondents record speeches delivered by important public figures. Obaidul Quader’s speech at the discussion with the Indian journalists at Radisson hotel was also recorded.

Hear Obaidul Quader's comments on Saber Hossain Chowdhury

His comments are exactly given here: "We came to power because we formed a strategic alliance. I still say sometimes we nominated newcomer Saber Hossain Chowdhury for the 1996 elections by leaving out a long-time, dedicated and tested leader of Dhaka city like Mozaffar Hossain Paltu. There were a lot of questions at the time. (Though) he (Saber) did not fit the ideologies.”

“আমরা স্ট্র্যাটেজিক এলায়েন্স করেছি বলেই ক্ষমতায় আসতে পেরেছি। আমি তো মাঝে মাঝে বলি যে, আমাদের ঢাকা সিটিতে আমাদের দীর্ঘদিনের নেতা, পরীক্ষিত ত্যাগীমোজাফফর হোসেন পল্টুকে বাদ দিয়ে নবাগত সাবের হোসেন চৌধুরীকে ’৯৬ এ আমরা মনোনয়ন দিয়েছিলাম। তখনও অনেক প্রশ্ন ছিল। তিনি আদর্শিকতার মধ্যে পড়ছিলেননা।

“Let’s see another example – Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin is one of our longtime tested leaders, but we left him out and nominated Haji Mohammad Salim. We had to form an alliance with ASM Abdur Rab and the Jatiya Party for a single seat in the elections. You should think about all these before casting doubt on us.”

“তারপর আরেকটা দেখুন, আমাদের ডা. মোস্তফা জালাল মহিউদ্দিন দীর্ঘদিনের পরীক্ষিত একজন নেতা, তাকে বাদ দিয়ে হাজী সেলিমকে আমরা মনোনয়ন দিয়েছিলাম। সেইইলেকশনেও আমরা এক সিটের জন্য আ স ম আব্দুর রব ও জাতীয় পার্টির সঙ্গে এলায়েন্স করতে হয়েছে। এই বিষয়গুলো কিন্তু ভাবার বিষয়, আমাদের সন্দেহের চোখে দেখলেহবে না।”