Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, has called for ward-level preparations to counter what he described as a threat to the party's existence.
"Why would ordinary students take to the streets with local weapons and engage in violence? This movement has undoubtedly fallen into the hands of malevolent forces. We cannot remain silent in such a situation," he said during a meeting with Dhaka district and metropolitan (North and South) Awami League leaders at the party’s Tejgaon office on Wednesday (17 July).
He urged party members to be ready in every ward, adding, "We, who uphold the spirit of the Liberation War and believe in its values, cannot remain passive. We must face this threat to our existence. Prepare yourselves ward by ward. They have a destructive agenda even today."
Quader appealed to parents to keep their children away from these protests as armed cadres have infiltrated the movement for political gain.
He reiterated that the government is committed to listening to the students' logical demands and urged patience until the court's hearing on the matter.
Prominent Awami League leaders, including Dr Abdur Razzaq, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Shajahan Khan, Kamrul Islam, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Salman F Rahman, Mozammel Haque, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Ahmad Hossain, BM Mozammel Haque, and Mirza Azam, attended the meeting.
