Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said no foreign powers can bring any party into state power as only the people of the country are the sole authority to install any party in power through exercising their rights of franchise.

"No foreign powers can bring anyone into power. Foreigners can be our friends. But it is completely dependent on the people to put anyone in power," Quader told.

Quader, also minister for road transport and bridges, said if the country's people do not want, none can stay in power by force. "It is not possible to stay in power forcibly," he added.

"The visit was a party-to-party level one. Modi did not talk about the election. We talked how to further strengthen our relations," he said, adding that his party has to maintain good relation with the party in power in India in the greater national interest.

Quader said during their visit to India, they talked about every important issue prevailing between the two countries, including Teesta treaty and Rohingya crisis. "We drew the attention of the Indian prime minister about the problem we are facing due to paucity of water of the river Teesta," he said.

The AL general secretary said they invited National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party Ram Madhav to visit Bangladesh.

About the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) elections, Quader said they urged their party men that not to violate election code of conduct and said only the inhabitants of Gazipur and Khulna can take part in election campaigns in their respective city corporations.

The minister also assured of extending all-out cooperation from the government side to the Election Commission to hold the city polls.

AL joint-general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, organizing secretaries Ahmad Hossain, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury, Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Forest and Environment Affairs Secretary Delwar Hossain and Deputy Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, among others, were present on the occasion.