No passenger suffered for AL train tour: Quader

M Humayun Kabir: No passenger suffered following the party delegation’s electioneering tour to the northern districts by train on Saturday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has claimed.
Quader, also the minister for Road Transport and Bridges, came up with the claim following media reports on the sufferings of passengers as the train, Nilsagar Express, was over about five hours late because of the ruling party’s programmes held at the stations, reports The Daily Star.
The minister was talking to reporters at a press conference held at Syedpur Airport in Nilphamari yesterday.
The minister who led the AL team also said the passengers spontaneously participated in the electioneering programmes organised at different railway stations in the northern districts.
The AL team took a passenger train to the North to launch its campaign for the national polls.
Asked about the sufferings of the passengers, the minister refuted any such complaints and claimed that no passenger had to suffer. “Several lakh people attended the programmes. Not a single untoward incident occurred.”
“Media often spreads propaganda. They did so during quota reform movement and student movement for safe roads. People have proved yesterday that BNP does not even qualify for an opposition political party,” Quader said.
When asked about the size of the election-time government, the minister said it will be a small one.
Among others, Minister of Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Noor, AL Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury were present at the press briefing.
On Saturday, hundreds of people suffered and rail timetable fell into disarray following the 441km trip of AL from Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka started at 8am.
The train, which was supposed to reach Nilphamari station at 5:30pm, finally made it to the station around 10pm.
Quader addressed 11 scheduled rallies and two unscheduled ones, and sought vote for “Boat”, the election symbol of the ruling party.
With this, the party started its countrywide tour for the election campaign, about three and a half months ahead of the polls slated for the end of December.
Quader and other members of his team boarded the train as ordinary passengers and around 90 tickets of AC cabin and chair coach were bought on behalf of them.
The train set off for Nilphamari with around 900 passengers.