Dhaka: Reiterating the demand for ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said it wants to "move past previous differences" to establish stronger relations with India, but her continued presence in India could further damage bilateral ties. Hasina resigned and fled to India after student-led protests spiralled into a mass agitation against the government.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the second-in-command of the BNP, which is poised to form the next government in Bangladesh, asserted that the party wants to establish stronger relations with India and assured that it would not allow any activities on Bangladeshi soil that would threaten the security of its giant neighbour.
“Sheikh Hasina has to face the law of Bangladesh for all the crimes and corruption committed by her and her regime. To enable this and respect the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh, India should ensure her return to Bangladesh,” he told news agency PTI. He said India is yet to reach out to the BNP weeks after Hasina's fall, even though China, Pakistan, the US and the UK have already done so.
'New chapter' in India-Bangladesh relations
"We want to start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, and ensuring the return of Hasina to Bangladesh will be a new leaf in the bilateral ties... Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are both condemned here and standing by them will only worsen the perception of India in Bangladesh," Alamgir said, adding that India should not have sheltered the ousted PM.
"There is already anger against India, as it is seen as a supporter of the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina regime. If you ask anyone in Bangladesh, they will say that India did not do the right thing by giving shelter to Sheikh Hasina. Now, if India doesn’t ensure the extradition of Hasina to Bangladesh, the relationship between the two countries will further decline," he added.
This came as the Ministry of External Affairs refused to give a clear answer as to how long does India intend to shelter Hasina amid calls of extradition from Bangladesh's interim government. “The former prime minister of Bangladesh came to India at very short notice for safety reasons. We have nothing further to add on that matter. What you asked lies in the realm of hypothetical issues,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
How will BNP strengthen relations with the BNP?
During the regime of BNP Khaleda Zia, relations between India and Bangladesh were strained, and several terrorist organisations operated from Bangladeshi soil. Alamgir said if voted to power, the BNP would engage more with India and try to resolve misunderstandings and past differences.
"We have to talk, as that will be pragmatic diplomacy to resolve the issues. Even after such a major political upheaval in Bangladesh, India has not started any dialogue with us,” said the 76-year-old veteran leader. "Terrorism or such activities in Bangladesh are very minimal in nature, and the situation is under control. We can assure India that BNP will never allow any anti-India forces or security threats to gain ground in the country," he added.
What is the future of India-Bangladesh projects?
Earlier, senior BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the party will review and re-examine "questionable" bilateral treaties and agreements signed between India and Bangladesh when Hasina was in power. Speaking on the same lines, Alamgir said the BNP had no issues with the bilateral treaties and agreements with India and the Awami League, but some agreements are not in Bangladesh's interests and need to be re-looked at.
Speaking on the issue of attacks on Hindu minorities following the fall of the Awami League government, Alamgir called the reports “factually incorrect and misleading.” “The reports that attacks on Hindu minorities are taking place are factually incorrect. There may be some instances, but those are more political in nature and not communal," he told PTI, while asserting that the issue is Bangladesh's 'internal matter'.
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