India wants to keep Bangladesh as its colony: Salimullah Khan
India wants to keep Bangladesh as its colony using the excuse of its helping the country in its war of liberation in 1971, writer and professor Salimullah Khan said on Monday.
He was addressing a discussion titled “Abul Mansur Ahmed’s thoughts on the state: Context mass uprising”, organised by Rashtrachinta at Chittagong University.
The discussion continued from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
A student asked him, how can relations with India be established based on justice?
Salimullah Khan said, “Imagine the countries of Europe. Sweden is a small country; it always remains on its toe in fear of Russia. How have they been existing with dignity then? India helped Bangladesh in 1971. The country has been trying to keep Bangladesh as its colony using that excuse. Have you shed so much blood to be freed from the colonial rule of Pakistan and turn into a colony of India?”
He said, “Sheikh Hasina’s major crime was that she destroyed the hearts of Bangladesh. Apart from the looting in the power sector, money laundering, enforced disappearances, murders and torture, she turned Bangladesh into a slave of India in terms of diplomatic relations. You have accomplished the first chapter of getting rid of that. That was to oust Sheikh Hasina from power. Now the second part is to unite the people of the country. There have been instigations from different sections to create instability in the country and to prevent that we need political honesty, awareness and political force to prevent this.”
A student at the event asked for his opinion regarding desecration of the national flags of the US and Israel by a Bangladeshi student. Salimullah Khan said, “Any sort of revolt against any injustice is justified. Symbolism is a form of revolt.”
Speaking regarding the ISCKON, “If the Bangladeshi Hindus believe that the ISCKON is their last resort, then they are making a grave mistake, because there were Hindus in Bangladesh before ISCKON.”
Among the others who addressed the event are Chittagong University pro-VC (admin) Professor Md Kamal Uddin, pro-VC Mohammad Shameem Uddin Khan and Abul Mansur Ahmed Smrity Parishad convener Imran Ahmed.