What sort of neighbourly behaviour is this? Mirza Fakhrul on India’s attitude
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for political unity in Bangladesh on the critical issues of the country’s independence and sovereignty.
He questioned, “What kind of friendship is this? What sort of neighborly behaviour is this?” referring to various actions by India.
Mirza Fakhrul made these remarks while addressing a rally at the Royal Regency Hall in East London of the UK on Tuesday evening (local time).
The rally was organised by the UK chapter of BNP.
While in the UK, the BNP Secretary General condemned several incidents, including the attack on the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Agartala, India, the burning of the Bangladesh’s national flag, violent protests outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, and attempts by extremist groups in India to cross into Bangladesh through the Sylhet and Benapole borders.
He further stated, “What kind of friendship is this? What kind of neighbourly behaviour is this? There is an ongoing effort to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty by spreading false and misleading claims about the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.”
Mirza Fakhrul stated that Sheikh Hasina has been responsible for the deaths of 20,000 people over the past 15 years and has caused the enforced disappearance of hundreds.
He also claimed that India has provided shelter to fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of conspiring against the people of Bangladesh with her forces while living in India.
Referring to India as Bangladesh’s largest neighbour and a historic ally, Mirza Fakhrul said, “India helped us during the great liberation war of 1971. We would like to request India, as a large country, not to look down upon those who fought and gave their lives for our independence, those who struggled for democracy, and those who earned their rights with their blood. The people of Bangladesh will never accept this.”
Mirza Fakhrul further appealed to all political parties, urging them to unite on this critical issue. “We will stand united in this struggle to protect our independence and sovereignty,” he emphasised.
Addressing the interim government, Mirza Fakhrul said, “What is the responsibility of this government? Its duty is to swiftly resolve this mess and hold elections as soon as possible. They believe that the necessary electoral, administrative, judicial, and economic reforms should be completed quickly, and then the country can move toward elections. As they have stated before, the longer the elections are delayed, the more problems will arise, and the more anti-democratic forces will gain strength.”
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul also added, “Among us, there are some who are extremists and rash. Extremism and rash behaviour will never lead us down the right path. Therefore, there must be no chaos or rashness; we must move forward with great caution.”
Mirza Fakhrul continued, “It is unimaginable how the Awami League government has plundered the country’s resources and smuggled them abroad. They were smuggling $16 billion every year. The Awami League has destroyed all of the country’s institutions, including the electoral system.”
The rally was presided over by the UK chapter BNP President MA Malek, and conducted by UK BNP General Secretary Qaisar M Ahmed.
Thousands of leaders and activists from various cities in the UK and Europe participated in the rally, with leaders from different levels of the party also addressing the workers.