Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said his party's tradition is to stand beside the people in any crisis.

"Those, who are used to arrange party in luxurious restaurants in the name of iftar, never feel comfort to stand beside the people, how did they criticize government? ...Whereas the ruling party activists are busy to distribute iftar among the poor and it is the habit of Awami League to stand beside the people," he said.

Quader told this at a function of distributing iftar and Eid goods among the common people during the Holy month of Ramadan in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi road-32 in the city in the morning.

Responding to BNP leaders claim on raising poor and beggars in the country, the ruling party general secretary asked have they not feel any shame as they did not help a poor in this holy month (Ramadan), adding: "Why BNP men are joining iftar party in the city's different luxurious hotels without serving iftar among the poor?"

Only the ruling party activists are being engaged to distribute iftar items among the poor people, he added.

Quader, however, said that usually few people arrive at big cities including the capital expecting for donation, saying that but there is no example of death due to starvation, so far.

The ruling party leader said those who are shedding crocodile tears now for the poor have forgotten that the women during their regime particularly President Ziaur Rahman's regime had been forced to involve with prostitutions in north Bengal due wrath of poverty.

Talking about the security of the people, Obaidul Quader said there is no anxiety over the peoples' security issue but some people are talking this only for political opposition. "Overnight Eid shopping is going on whereas there is no single example of separate incident of insecurity in the country," he told the function.

Sharply opposing BNP's claim on 80 percent of their party men are still under torture, Quader said most of the BNP leaders have already been released from the imprisonment.

Quder asked Mirza Fakhrul Islam, secretary general of BNP, to reveal the list of detained 80 percent BNP leaders immediately. But why BNP is crying for those who are being imprisoned accused of committing fire terrorism and killing people, he further asked.

The function was also addressed, among others, by Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazley Noor Taposh and lawmaker of Dhaka-10 constituency Ferdous Ahmed.

Later, the Awami League General Secretary distributed iftar and Eid commodities among the cross section of people.