Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the upcoming Bangladesh parliamentary polls would be held like the elections in other democratic countries and there was no scope of going beyond the constitution.

Quader, also the general secretary of the Awami League, made the comments while talking to journalists after the 11th board meeting of the Dhaka Road Transport Coordination Authority at Nagar Bhaban.

He said one more parliament session would be held after the current one.

“The ministers will only do their routine work after the announcement of the election schedule,” he said.

The minister also said the Awami League, along with the countrymen, would give a befitting reply if the BNP tried to incite violence centring the upcoming national polls.

“We will welcome any non-violent movement of the BNP and will face it politically…If they want to create anarchy in the name of movement, we will prevent it along with the common people.”

Quader said an overall movement was not possible by holding a hunger strike programme as the BNP would need strength which it did not have.

About BNP's demands for the resignation of the prime minister ahead of the polls, Quader said that it was ridiculous. “Who will take the charge if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns?”

He said the release of the BNP chief  Khaleda Zia was a matter for the court and not the government.

“We will make decisions on the country's internal issues and will not bow down to any unconstitutional pressure from outside,” he added.