Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday branded Awami League general secretary Obaidul Qauder as a ‘Chemical Quader’ for his remarks on pouring uranium on the heads of the opposition leaders.

‘There was a minister in Iraq named Ali. He was believed to be overseeing the production of toxic chemical weapons. So, everyone called him Chemical Ali. A Chemical Quader (AL general secretary) has also emerged in Bangladesh,’ he said.

Talking to reporters on BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave premises in Dhaka, Rizvi said that the Awami League general secretary exposed how cruel their party was with his threat to pour destructive uranium on the heads of the opposition BNP leaders.

‘Uranium can destroy the whole world with its toxic radiation. He (Quader) threatened to pour that uranium on the heads of the BNP secretary general and its standing committee members,’ he said.

On Monday, Quader at a programme of Awami League’s Dhaka north city unit warned that they would pour uranium on the heads of BNP leaders if they wanted to shut the Rooppur power plant.

‘Two shipments of uranium have already arrived in the country from Russia. We’ll pour some of the uranium over the heads of Fakhrul, Moyeen Khan, Gayeshwar, Abbas and ‘crazy’ Rizvi. Whoever does excess, we will calm them down by pouring uranium on their heads instead of beating them with sticks,’ Quader said.

Rizvi alleged that Sheikh Hasina’s government and its ministers were directly and indirectly involved in dreadful acts like enforced disappearances, murder, secret killing and crossfire in Bangladesh. ‘The threat of pouring toxic chemical uranium on opposition leaders’ heads is a sign of the cruel attitude of the ruling party.’

He criticised the government for not allowing ailing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment.

The BNP leader alleged that the government had snatched Khaleda’s basic and constitutional rights to receive treatment by denying her permission to go abroad.

He called upon people from all walks of life to wake up to free the country from the grasp of the current autocratic regime through a strong street movement.

Rizvi together with the newly made Bogura district unit BNP president Rezaul Karim Badsha and general secretary Ali Asgar Hena paid homage to Zia by placing a wreath at his grave.