Quader bins TIB report, fires salvo at Fakhrul

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has trashed a report by the Transparency International Bangladesh or TIB, which alleged widespread irregularities in the general election.

“TIB has come up with fabricated stories and incredible fairy tales," he told reporters at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office after an extended meeting of Dhaka south city unit of Jubo League on Wednesday.

Anti-corruption group TIB said on Tuesday it found "irregularities" in 47 of 50 constituencies it surveyed during last month's general election in Bangladesh, which was marred by allegations of vote rigging and other irregularities.

Referring to the Dec 30 parliamentary vote, Quader questioned whether any representative of TIB or BNP had raised objections about the transparency of the election on the voting day.

“You did not say it then. Because you could not find any reason to speak out. We know why you've cooked up so many imaginary and unbelievable stories. We know the mystery. The people of Bangladesh will reply to it.”

He also questioned why TIB has 'cooked up' the stories after so many days of the ballot.

He also responded to his BNP counterpart Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s remark made on Tuesday that Quader should go to a stadium and apologise to the nation for his party’s misdeeds in the polls.

Firing a salvo at the BNP secretary general, he said, "Mirza Fakhrul asked me to go to the stadium to apologise for rigging the elections. Mirza Fakhrul is a reckless driver. He sometimes causes accidents. Everyone should be careful."

He also asked Fakhrul to resign from his party taking the responsibility for the failures both in the movement and the election.