Hasina makes Bangladesh a part of India’s military plan: Khaleda
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday alleged that the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) and agreements signed during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit will only increase the military and geo-political influence of India on Bangladesh.
Also a former prime minister, Khaleda made her observations speaking at a press conference at her Gulshan office, apparently to give her reaction to the recent India visit of of her arch-enemy premier and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief also alleged that Hasina’s India visit has rather caused further damage to Bangladesh.
At least 34 agreements and MoUs were signed between Bangladesh and India during Sheikh Hasina’s recent official visit to India from 7 to 10 April.
“This time too, the people see with despair and pain that the deals and the MoUs signed during the visit in the areas of defence cooperation, purchase of arms and weaponry, line of credit, nuclear energy cooperation, import of electricity and power, increase of connectivity, outer space cooperation, cyber security cooperation will only increase India’s military, political, and geopolitical influence on Bangladesh,” alleged Khaleda.
The BNP chief alleged that many agreements and MoUs were signed between the two countries keeping the people of Bangladesh in dark.
“The issues crucial for Bangladesh such as realising due share of Teesta waters, Ganga barrage project, stopping border killing, removal of tariff and non-tariff barrier to exports of Bangladeshi goods were not discussed in the visit.
“She [Hasina] uttered not a single word about relocation of Rampal power plant detrimental to environment and the Sundarbans.
“Rather the prime minister had to return with empty hand with only some assurances.
“As a sequel to the past, many agreements and MoUs were signed on the issues of India’s priorities. The countrymen consider this visit an utterly failed one, one of getting nothing and one of only giving,” said Khaleda.
Alleging that the incumbent government does not represent the people of Bangladesh, Khaleda said, “An autocratic regime having no accountability is now in place in the country.”
Referring to the then India’s external affairs secretary Sujatha Singh’s visit to Bangladesh prior to the 5 January 2014 elections, Khaleda said, “It is not unknown to the people how the then external affairs secretary of India played an open role to implement the rulers’ electoral blue print.
“And that’s why, the majority people in Bangladesh strongly believe that the last Indian government helped the Awami League stay in power and the government isolated from the people remains in the power thanks to their overt support."
“The people of the country also think that the government could not uphold the national interests in any of the agreements or MoUs. They only continue to repay the debt in which national interests and dignity are being sacrificed. The sovereignty of our state has been ruptured,” she added.
Khaleda, also the top leader of the 20-party opposition alliance, said the people are not at all satisfied with the outcome of the visit, rather they are frightened.
As for defence deal, Khaleda said, “We, too, along with the people of Bangladesh are frightened by thinking the far-reaching impact of these [defence] deals… She, rather, has made Bangladesh a part of India’s military plan.”
Calling on the Indian government to “show respect for the aspirations of democracy-loving people of Bangladesh coming out of the past mistakes”, Khaleda said, “It is not a big thing to impose or sign any agreements with a side which is isolated from the people. There are proofs in the near history that no MoUs or agreements can be implemented forcibly without the support from people.
“We think that the mistrusts have rather been consolidated by signing agreements or MoUs on sensitive issues like defence cooperation, without taking the people’s mandate or keeping the nation in dark,” said the BNP chief.
About sharing of Teesta river waters, Khaleda said, “The issue of sharing Teesta water is a matter of two sovereign states. That’s why, it will have to be solved by the central government of India. Getting the chief minister of a state involved as a third party in this discussion between the two countries has undermined the sovereign status of Bangladesh.”
Dwelling on the proposed Ganges barrage in Pabna, the BNP chief alleged that Hasina has failed to get Indian approval for the project and that is why she is raising question about the feasibility of the project.
“She has accepted India’s proposal for relocating the barrage site and doing a new feasibility study,” she alleged.
In reference to Hasina claim that she didn’t visit India to seek anything but to seek friendship, Khaleda said, “She [Hasina] has essentially accepted that she could bring nothing for Bangladesh from India, rather gave them everything as par the demand of India.”
Replying to Hasina’s call to keep trust in her in upholding Bangladesh’s interests, Khaleda said the people of the country have got nothing so far by keeping trust in Hasina.
“Rather, they lost different rights including their franchise. People have seen in the past that she [Hasina] signed one deal after another going against national interests. She just continued to unilaterally give India. In exchange, she could bring nothing.”
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