Deals with India part of govt’s abortive efforts to stay in power: BNP

BNP on Thursday alleged that the government signed ‘anti-state’ bilateral documents with India as part of its ‘abortive’ efforts to stay in power by appeasing the ‘powerful’ neighbour.

Speaking at a press conference, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain urged the government to revoke the ‘anti-state’ deals with India as the country’s people and students have got aggrieved over it.

BNP standing committee arranged the press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, UNB reports.

Reading out a written statement, Mosharraf said, “The outcome of the Prime Minister’s recent India tour has manifested how appalling and destructive the consequences can for the country and its people when the state power is grabbed by a force which is not accountable to people and elected by their votes.”

He further said, “The government neither informed people about the deals nor took proper preparation before the Prime Minister’s India tour. This (the signing of deals) is mere a futile and temporary effort to hang onto power by appeasing the powerful neighbour through sacrificing the interests of the country and its people.”

The BNP leader said their party also wants good relations with India based on equity. “Bilateral ties should be based on ‘give-and-take’ policy. But what the government is doing is only giving (India). People didn’t give the government any right to sign unequal deals that would harm the interests of the country.”

He demanded the government make public the bilateral documents signed during the Prime Minister’s recent India tour with elaborate information. “We also want the government to cancel all the deals that are against the country’s interests.”

The BNP leader accused the government of killing Buet student Abrar Fahad through its ‘cadres’ for protesting the deals on his Facebook account.

Describing Abrar as the ‘voice of Bangladesh’, Mosharraf said he is a martyr for the cause of the country’s interests, its independence and sovereignty. “His cruel death can’t go in vain and won’t be allowed to turn futile.”

Referring to Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque’s comment that Tripura’s Sabroom town will turn into a Karbala if Feni River’s water is not given, he said the Foreign Secretary should first protect the country’s interests. “The screams of lakhs of Bangladeshis faced by drought because of the Farakka Barrage didn’t touch his heart.”

The BNP leader said agricultural activities will be affected in the country during dry season while the Muhuri project will turn ineffective if India withdraws water from the Feni River. “He (Shahidul) and his government are much active to prevent Sabroom from becoming Karbala while the destruction of their own country and screams of its people are much valueless to them.”

Mosharraf said some companies and India will be benefited, not Bangladesh, by allowing export of LPG to Tripura. ”What did we get, except Tagore Peace Award, by allowing India this facility?”

He said the Prime Minister gave ‘false’ information during her Wednesday’s press conference about the Ganges Treaty as she said Ziaur Rahman could not sign it. “The fact is that the Ganges Treaty was signed during Ziaur Rahman’s rule in 1977. Rather, the current Prime Minister-led government signed a deal in 1996 dropping the guarantee clause of the previous treaty, harming the country’s interests.”

Mosharraf also termed untrue the Prime Minister’s comment that Khaleda Zia had forgotten to talk about the Teesta water-sharing issue during her first India tour as the Prime Minister. “In the joint declaration issued during that visit, it was mentioned that the both sides agreed on the sharing of water in the highest interest of the people of the two countries in a long-term integrated process based on equality. If there was no discussion, how was this statement included in the joint declaration? ”

BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Selima Rahman were present at the programme.