‘Do 2,000 to 3,000 Vehicles in the Long March Run on Water or Oil?’ Shama Obaed Asks

Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaed challenged opposition claims of fuel and gas shortages by pointing to the scale of a planned long march.

“You are holding a long march with 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles. Do these vehicles run on water or oil?” she asked at a BNP founding anniversary programme in Nagarkanda, Faridpur. She urged opposition parties to abandon the march and bring their demands to parliament instead.

“

You are holding a long march with 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles. Do these vehicles run on water or oil?

Shama said the July Charter would be implemented under the leadership of a BNP government. She accused the government led by Sheikh Hasina of corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector, saying power plants had been built without adequate production arrangements and that insufficient efforts had been made to extract gas reserves.

“

Instead of holding a long march, I urge the opposition to come to parliament and raise their demands.

She also said the Yunus-led government had failed to develop the sector during its one-and-a-half years in office. “Financial-sector irregularities accumulated over 17 years cannot be eliminated in six months,” she said.

Shama said democracy had returned but conspiracies and misinformation continued, including claims of a fertiliser shortage. She added that the judiciary was now functioning independently. Offenders from the previous government, she said, should face trial based on evidence, while people should not be prosecuted for political vengeance.

“

Financial-sector irregularities accumulated over 17 years cannot be eliminated in six months.