Shakib’s joining BNM was not known: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said he was unaware of the issue of national cricketer Shakib Al Hasan’s joining the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), a political party, also known as “King’s Party” established before the 12th parliamentary election.

“Shakib (now an Awami League lawmaker) became a member of the ruling party while seeking nomination. Before that, he was not a part of us. He got the nomination as he fulfilled conditions,” Quader told reporters at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka.

Asked, whether the government had a role in forming the “King’s Party” in the last general election, the Awami League leader threw a counter-question, saying, “Why would the ruling party take the initiative to establish the King’s Party?”

Quader said, “Many political parties can be formed before the election. We do not know about any such party. We consider each of those as a political party and the Election Commission ensures their registration.”

In reply to another question about a BNP leader’s statement over the Awami League’s attempt to split the BNP, he said, “Why would we split the BNP? Do we have any weakness that we have to cause defection from their party? The Awami League has a huge number of activists.”