The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, said “the ice has started to melt” in relations with India in the backdrop of recent political changes in the country. It said this after an interim government was formed after student-led protests that saw the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP, led by Begum Khaleda Zia, has been critical of the deals inked with India during Hasina’s term. Recently, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma met with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir at the BNP office. They discussed ways of improving ties between the two countries.
After this meeting, Alamgir was very optimistic. “The visit of the High Commissioner improved the situation.” The recent parliamentary election raised many questions on Bangladesh’s relations with India. He said, “This is a turning point in the relationship between India and Bangladesh.”
BNP’s assurance to India during the meeting was that if they came back to power, they would not allow separatist organizations of the Indian Northeast to use Bangladesh as a base. In the past, there have been several allegations that militant groups in India’s Northeast have been taking shelter in Bangladesh. “We discussed very vital issues like water sharing, border security, and trade imbalance,” Alamgir explained.
All this has changed dramatically in recent weeks as political upheaval swept Bangladesh. A student-led movement saw Hasina’s ouster. She fled to India on August 5. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus leads an interim government. The BNP is not part of the interim setup, but they are likely to play a major role in the upcoming elections.
Khaleda Zia was released from jail just after Hasina’s government fell. Mirza Fakrul cited the age-old relationship that existed between India and Bangladesh: “There have been misunderstandings, but the ice has started melting.” He was optimistic about a better understanding between the two nations and emphasized people-to-people relationship building.
Indeed, one important step forward in Indo-Bangladesh relations came when, during the 79th UNGA, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Md. Touhid Hossain, the foreign affairs adviser to the interim Bangladeshi government. Alamgir perceives the meeting as an important one that will strengthen the relations even more.
The BNP has also voiced its concern regarding the safety of the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh with the Durga Puja festival around the corner, starting from October 9 to 13. “We are alert to ensure the safety of minorities during this time,” Alamgir said. He added, “Any issues that arise are political and not communal.”
Accountability besides: the leader of BNP commented on the need for accountability related to Hasina. He said, “She should come back to Bangladesh to face the allegations against her.” The BNP remains vigilant about the political atmosphere and believes that Bangladesh will go back to a democratically elected government very soon.
The BNP expects better relations with India following the recent political changes. They believe in much communication and cooperation, bringing the two countries closer to each other.
ANI
