BNP on Monday hoped that India, the world’s largest democracy, will take a position in support of Bangladesh’s democracy-loving people for ‘restoration’ of democracy here. Speaking at a discussion, the party senior leaders also said the democratic countries across the world are unhappy over India’s role in ‘obliterating’ democracy in Bangladesh.
“India is not only our neighbour, but also our very close and genuine friend, and our ties with them are very important. We hope they’ll be with Bangladesh’s democracy-loving people,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Dhaka, UNB News Agency Reported.
He further said, “We also hope India will surely not assist or pamper a force or regime which has imposed its rule on people without their mandate. It’s clear like the daylight that this government is not elected with people’s votes and it doesn’t represent people.” BNP’s Dhaka city unit arranged the programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh protesting the ‘wholesale arrest’ of common people and opposition leaders and activists in the name of a combing operation to tackle militants.
Fakhrul said Awami League has long been hanging onto power through holding a lopsided election which neither the country’s people and nor the global community have accepted. “So, it’s the natural expectation of the country’s people that all democratic countries will take position in favour democracy and those who are on a movement for its restoration.” He opposed Indian External Affairs Minister’s comment that Bangladesh government has taken the right step to curb militancy, saying the government has failed to check militancy and extremism.
Fakhrul said the government carried out a week-long drive in the name of crackdown on militants and arrested nearly 14,000 people. “Of them, the government itself said only 179 are militant suspects.” He said the government has arrested thousands of innocent people in the drive only to give an impression that they are sincere to check militancy. “It’s become successful to some extent as we’ve seen in the newspapers that the Indian External Affairs Minister expressed satisfaction saying the Bangladesh government has taken the right step to tackle militancy.”
On Sandy, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Bangladesh government is sparing no effort to stop the attacks. “Sheikh Hasina has taken strong steps and Islamic leaders have condemned the killings. It shows the mentality of the country’s people.” Fakhrul said the government conducted the drive and arrested thousands of innocent people only to divert public attention to a different direction from its failure to stop secret killings, terrorism and check the emergence of militancy.
Speaking at the programme, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said no democratic country, except India, accepted the current government and the January-5 election. He alleged that being a close neighbour and the world’s largest democratic country, India has played a role in annihilating democracy in Bangladesh. “The other democratic countries in the world don’t treat India with respect for its role in destroying Bangladesh’s democracy.”
Gayeshwar said if India thinks it has a good and friendly relation with Bangladesh by only maintaining relation with Awami League or its president Sheikh Hasina, it’s their wrong perception. “The friendship will have to be between India and Bangladesh, and among the people of the two countries based on mutual respect.”
He also said as a neighbouring and democratic country, India can play a role in resorting democratic rights of Bangladeshi people. “As you (India) patronised someone to obliterate democracy, you can obviously now assist Bangladesh’s people to have democracy restored here,” Gayeshwar added.
