Sheikh Hasina doesn’t sell the country, say prime minister

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she does not sell the country.

“Sheikh Hasina does not sell this country. It should be kept in mind that we have freed this country,” she said adding there is no harm in allowing transit to a country through another country.

She made these remarks while replying to a query from a journalist at a press conference on her recently-concluded state visit to India, at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The prime minister read out a written statement at the beginning of the briefing, which was followed by addressing questions from newspersons.

At the beginning of question and answer session, a journalist asked a question about allowing India railway transit through Bangladesh and said that this issue drew criticism on social media, to the effect that the country was being sold. In reply, Sheikh Hasina said, “My question what machine is being used to weigh now? Previously, scales was used for weight, now machines are used. So, how will it be sold now?”

Sheikh Hasina said, “Bangladesh is an independent country. We freed this country through the Liberation War. Those who criticise us should know there was an allied force that fought shoulder to shoulder with us during the Liberation War and helped us to liberate the country. Elsewhere in the world, when an allied force that assists a country during a war , it does not leave. There are still American soldiers in Japan and Russian soldiers in Germany.”

“Here India is an exception. They fought beside us as the allied force, but when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted them (Indian soldiers) to return home, the Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi agreed at once and withdrew them,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, “How do people say the country will be sold to India? Those who say it are, in fact, sold to India because we have seen when military dictators like Ziaur Rahman and HM Erashad, as well as Khaleda Zia came to power, they spoke anti-Indian in the open, but bowed to India behind the scenes. I know this and I have seen this.”

Sheikh Hasina raised a question on what are the losses in giving a country transit through another country. She said she is gradually opening railway routes transit with India had that remained closed, and this is making a big contribution to the economy. Will we keep our doors closed from all sides in Bangladesh? Let’s look to Europe, there are no borders there. Will a country be selling another country there, she asked.

The prime minister said, “Our country is independent and sovereign. I made all communications open, and general people will benefit from it and trade-commerce will prosper.”

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina went to India on a two-day state visit in June at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.