Dhaka: Amid concerns over the future of India-Bangladesh relations since the ouster of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) urged India to take a relook at the bilateral relations without Hasina. Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said it wanted strong relations with India, and refuted beliefs that ties between the two countries would deteriorate in the absence of the Awami League.
In an interview with news agency PTI, Chowdhury blamed an "ecosystem of former diplomats, bureaucrats, politicians, and think tanks" for creating a "bogeyman" to mislead the Indian establishment into believing that Indo-Bangla relations would deteriorate without Hasina. He said India “failed to understand the pulse of the people of Bangladesh” and had “put all its eggs in one basket” by supporting one party and family.
“This ecosystem has created a bogeyman that if there is no Awami League, there will be security-related issues for India; if there is no Sheikh Hasina, then the country would go into the hands of fundamentalists; if there is no Awami League, then the Hindus in Bangladesh would be in danger. This is a completely false and deliberate narrative. These people need to wake up now. Bangladesh is one of the most liberal countries; here Hindus and Muslims have lived together for ages," he said.
Question of minorities 'internal matter' of Bangladesh: Chowdhury
The minority Hindu population saw their businesses and properties vandalised while Hindu temples were also attacked during the student-led protests against the government job quotas, that later escalated into an anti-government agitation, culminating in Sheikh Hasina's resignation and departure. Over 1,000 people were killed during the protests, according to Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum.
Chowdhury said the question of minorities is an "internal matter" of Bangladesh, but asserted that no government supports attacks on minority groups. "The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equal rights to everybody, and above all, we don’t believe in this minority and majority concept," he said. "How can others comment on the issue of minorities in our country? How does this come up in diplomatic relations? This is our internal matter."
Calling Bangladesh one of the most liberal countries, the senior BNP leader urged India to focus on a relationship with the people of Bangladesh. “You cannot change your neighbour and you should have good relations with your neighbour,” he told PTI, adding that Bangladesh wants the best of relations with India, as it is a neighbour.
The former commerce minister during the BNP regime accused the erstwhile Awami League regime of indulging in rampant corruption and working against the nation's interest vis-a-vis various bilateral treaties. “As they had captured power through fraudulent elections, they had no accountability to the people of Bangladesh. They laundered over $100 billion from many mega projects and treaties, which were against the country's interests,” he said.
Future of India-Bangladesh projects
Speaking of whether the projects signed between India and Bangladesh when Hasina was in power will be cancelled, Chowdhury maintained that the BNP was not singling out any country, but all "questionable" bilateral treaties and agreements will have to be re-examined and reviwed. "Nothing is going to be suspended or cancelled, as it is the government of the country which signs a treaty. But if it is not in the interest of Bangladesh, then it will be reviewed," he said.
Replying to a query about the popular perception of BNP regimes in the past not being India-friendly, Chowdhury said, “These are wrong perceptions. India has to leave the baggage of the past behind and both countries have to work together.” He also said that being vocal about his own country’s interest doesn’t make him anti-India.
“So, now in Bangladesh, it's seen as Sheikh Hasina plus India versus the people of Bangladesh. That is why there is this anger against India, as it is considered an ally of the Awami League,” he said and added, “Hasina taking shelter in India is also not seen in a good light in Dhaka.”
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