Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said the newly formed Jatiya Oikyafront could not create any stir among the people.

‘Veteran leaders joined the Oikyafront’s rally in Sylhet, but they could not create any stir among the people,’ he told newsmen after visiting the progress of metro-rail project at Diabari area of Uttara in the city, reports the BSS.

Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Advocate Sahara Khatun, local leaders and workers of the party and high officials of metro-rail project were present on the occasion.

The minister said those who cannot win in movement would not be able3 to win the election.

Terming Oikyafront’s seven-point demand as illogical, Quader said none of the demands will be met.

About bringing back reformist leaders in BNP, Quader said it has proved political bankruptcy of BNP.

He said it the notion is ridiculous that the reformists will strengthen the BNP’s movement.

Quader said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was reformist himself and it is natural that he would be sympathetic to the reformists.

About the forthcoming general election, the minister said the poll-time government will perform its duty like in other parliamentary democratic countries.

After the announcement of the schedule of the polls, the government cannot take any major decision and it will perform only the routine works, he added.

Quader said the Election Commission takes decision on the basis of opinions of majority of the members. Any election commissioner can oppose any decision, he added.

About the metro-rail project, the minister said works of the project will be completed in two phases.

The first phase works of the project from Uttara to Agargaon will end by December in 2019 while the second phase works by December in 2020, he added.

He said after the completion of the project, around 60,000 passengers will travel per hour and around 5 lkah passengers per day by metro-rail.

The minister expressed his hope that the city’s traffic congestion problem will lessen a lot after the completion of the project and it will be possible to build the capital Dhaka as a modern and smart city.