Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, we want to take the country forward by maintaining good relations with everyone. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina has been following that policy very successfully. Seeing that, the BNP is burning. That's why they started talking upside down.

He said, after coming from India, BNP started saying that we have sold the country to India. Now after China visit, they might say or not, I have sold the country to China too. Everywhere we go they say they are selling the country. My question to BNP, how many times cans the country be sold?

The Foreign Minister said these things while addressing the Chief Guest at the reunion of Journalist Conference and Cultural Program at Chattogram Press Club's Bangabandhu Hall on Saturday (July 6) at 8 p.m. It was organized by BFUJ-Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Chattogram Division.

Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, Our foreign policy is friendship with all, not enmity with anyone, and we have been doing it very successfully. Our Prime Minister visited India after a few days' break and now she is visiting China. Just as we have very good relations with India, we also have very good relations with China. Just as we have a very good relationship with Russia, we also have a very good and good relationship with the United States.

He said that as we are maintaining good relations with our near neighbor India who contributed to our great freedom struggle, those who were not by our side during the freedom struggle are also helping us, maintaining good relations with us, contributing to our development. This is the success of our foreign policy. Many people including the BNP pretend not to understand this.

He said that Sheikh Hasina and her government walk with their heads held high. Sheikh Hasina is not to bow down to anyone, this should be remembered. It doesn't matter what Rizvi Sahib said in a sullen mood, Gayeshwar Babu said in a relaxed mood, Mirza Fakhrul Sahib spoke like an illiterate despite being educated. We want to take the country forward by protecting the dignity of the state, maintaining good relations with everyone; the Prime Minister is doing that.

Awami League General Secretary and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that Bangladesh is a political friend of India and China is a friend of development.

He said these things in the speech of the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the seven-day Hill Fruit fair organized by the Chattogram Hill Tracts Ministry on Saturday (July 6) at noon.

This fruit fair has been organized at the Sheikh Hasina Chattogram Hill Tract Heritage Conservation and Research Center on Bailey Road in the capital.

Obaidul Quader said, our foreign policy is friendship with everyone, not enmity with anyone. Sheikh Hasina followed this policy of Bangabandhu. India has been our tested friend since ‘71. Indian soldiers then gave blood for us. Their people gave us shelter. We cannot forget the help of those times.

He said, since ‘75 years of hostility with India, what have others achieved in 21 years? We have solved the border problem. Having good relations, we got the sea boundary from India. We resolved the enclave problem peacefully because of the good relationship. We have also done the Ganges water treaty. If the relationship is good, everything can be resolved through discussion. We were never returned empty handed. Never been back, not yet.

Awami League general secretary said, those who talk big, they used to come from Delhi and say that we have forgotten about the Ganges treaty. When we get benefits for our development, why don't we take it? Now someone's body is itching, someone's heart is burning.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that today's Padma Bridge is the golden harvest of Sheikh Hasina's commitment. Her courage and foresight are our greatest assets. Even in a crisis, she went ahead without fear.

He said this at a rally at the Mawa end of the Padma Bridge on Friday (July 5) afternoon.

He said that when the World Bank did not want to finance the Padma Bridge, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in the National Parliament to build the Padma Bridge with her own money. On September 29, 2017, she was staying in New York, USA when the first span of Padma Bridge was installed. When asked to wait for her to install the first span, she said that day, the work of Padma Bridge will not stop for a minute for me. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina took visionary steps to prevent the erosion of Padma due to strong currents.

Obaidul Quader said, we wanted to name the Padma bridge after Sheikh Hasina, the demand was also raised in the parliament. Many people from all over Bangladesh demanded. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, I will not use my name in any way. The bridge will be named after the river Padma.

Obaidul Quader said in the rally, your name (Sheikh Hasina) has been mixed with Padma Bridge. As long as there is Padma Bridge, Sheikh Hasina's name will be spoken with pride.

The Bridges minister said that Sheikh Hasina went forward fearlessly even in crisis. The head will not bow to the lie, the coward will tremble in fear, the hero will fight. She (Sheikh Hasina) made us more proud, brought the nation out of poverty and removed darkness. 

Opposition Leader of Jatiya Sangsad and Jatiya Party Chairman Gholam Mohammad Quader commented that the creation of a discrimination-free society is being hindered by the quota system in the job in the name of the spirit of liberation war. He said that the quota of a large number of jobs for the generation after the liberation war has been fixed forever. I believe that it hinders the formation of a justice-based society without discrimination, which is the main objective of freedom.

He said these things in the closing speech of the first budget session of the 12th JS on Wednesday (July 3). Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided over the session.

GM Quader said that we should not forget that the people of this country are ready to accept any sacrifice and go to any stage to win the struggle against discrimination. Our main achievement in the freedom struggle is the constitution; it talks about equality of opportunity. Our Shaheed Minar is a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for freedom from discrimination. Our national memorial is a symbol of our commitment to build a just and fair country.

On the quota system, the opposition leader said that till 2018, there would be 56 percent  of recruitment in first class, second class, third class and fourth class in government jobs. Out of this, a 30 per cent quota is reserved for freedom fighters, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for residents of backward districts, 5 per cent for people belonging to minority castes and one per cent for disabled people. The remaining 44 percent were recruited on merit. In 2018, the demand of the students was to cancel the quota of freedom fighters only from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class in government jobs. In the wake of the movement, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular canceling all the quota system in the recruitment of 1st and 2nd class. But in class III and IV, quota system remains as before.

Opposition leader GM Quader said that in 2021, the children of some freedom fighters filed a petition in the High Court challenging the part of the freedom fighter quota cancellation in the circular. The court announced the judgment of the writ on June 5. There, the cancellation of the section reserved for freedom fighters by the public administration was declared illegal. As a result, under the banner of anti-discrimination student movement, job aspirants and ordinary students are again coming to the field to demand the reinstatement of the circular issued by the government which is creating a new crisis.

Criticizing the effort to evict the Mironzillah Harijan sweeper colony in Ward No. 33 of Old Dhaka, GM Quader said that some houses were demolished by the Dhaka South City Corporation to evict the Harijans. Children lay on the streets while other houses were demolished. They were then threatened to demolish more houses later. Those working in the city corporation will be sacked.

He said, the purpose of this eviction is to build a market there. Eviction without resettlement of these families living since the British period is very inhumane. Evicting the neglected, helpless, untouchable families from their homesteads for the purpose of building a market at this moment will tarnish the image of not only the government but the nation. He requested the intervention of the Prime Minister to stop their eviction without rehabilitation and to improve their living standards.

Highlighting the information of the 2023 report of the United States' Report on International Religious Freedom, the JP chairman said that torture and harassment of minorities has not stopped yet. The report expressed concern over the use of digital security laws to oppress religious minorities in Bangladesh. Harassment is being used against members of the minority community for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community. He urged the government to take necessary steps to stop torture and harassment.