Dhaka, Oct 7 (UNB) – Terming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India tour a failed one, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna on Monday demanded the government make public the bilateral documents signed with the neighbouring country.
“Bangladesh’s interests haven’t been protected in the bilateral documents signed with India. We demand the government make public the details of the deals and then, we think, more frightening information will come out,” he said.
Manna came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference arranged by his party on the country’s current situation at the Jatiya Press Club.
He said the government has committed a “grievous offence” through singing the documents with India by ‘sacrificing’ Bangladesh’s interests and it cannot be hushed up through the drive against casinos and the arrest of Jubo League leader Ismail Chowdhury Samrat. “The government’s weapon to hide one incident by another has got blunt for its repeated use.”
Manna, also a Jatiya Oikyafront leader, said no such deal has ever been signed by sacrificing such massive national interest like this time.
He said a strong protest should be staged organising people against the signed bilateral documents with India.
On Saturday, Bangladesh and India signed seven bilateral documents after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Manna said the government has long been failing to secure the country’s interests through bilateral talks and agreements with any country, especially since 2014. “In each case, the interests of the country have been sacrificed.”
“A bilateral discussion should be beneficial for both parties…but if we assess the deals that have been signed this time, we’ll find that Bangladesh’s minimum interest is not protected,” he observed.
Referring to the Foreign Secretary’s comment that Bangladesh allowed India to withdraw water from the Feni River on humanitarian ground, the Nagorik Oikya leader said, the neighbouring country has been continuing the inhuman act like killing of Bangladeshis along the border for a long time. “But Bangladesh couldn’t convince India to take a human decision about stopping border killing. Even, no diplomatic assurance was made to this end.”
He said the government always claims that its relationship with India is at the peak, and it is good to maintain warm ties with the close neighbour. “But it’s dangerous for the country if the relationship is only meant for giving everything to the neighbour without receiving anything. “The deals and MoUs the ruling party has so far signed with India are unilateral ones.”
About the recent drive against casinos and corruption, Manna said the government is arresting some ‘small fry’ instead of key corrupt elements.
Even, the government took incredibly much time to arrest a small fry and Jubo League Dhaka south unit president, Samrat, as the law enforces waited for the green signal from the highest level. “It has exposed the country’s law and judicial system have got how much bankrupt and the law enforcers have become how much subservient to the ruling party.”
He alleged that the government has turned Bangladesh into a den of corruption for over a decade. “But what is now happening in the name of anti-corruption drive is nothing but mere eyewash. It’s also an attempt to fool people.”
