Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj greets BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia before a meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Sunday. — New Age photo
Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday told Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia that India wanted a fair and inclusive general election in Bangladesh which would be acceptable to all.
Sushma expressed the views when Khaleda, also former prime minister, along with her party leaders called on Sushma at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka at about 8:00pm, BNP leaders said.
After the 45-minute meeting, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that Khaleda discussed present political situation including the next general election, existing problems and Rohingya crisis.
According to him, Sushma said that as a democratic country India wanted exercise of democracy and democratically elected government in other countries, particularly its neighbours.
Shusma observed that the Election Commission should be allowed to carry out its responsibility, said Fakhrul.
Khaleda told Sushma that Bangladesh was now facing the biggest crisis with Rohingyas and the crisis must end, said Fakhrul.
She said that Rohingyas fleeing violence in Myanmar were been given shelter in Bangladesh temporarily and steps needed to be take to send them back safely to Myanmar.
India also wants Myanmar to take back its nationals, Sushma told Khaleda, adding that India was putting pressure on Myanmar in this regard, said Fakhrul.
He said that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and discussed ways to strengthen the relations between Bangladesh and India.
BNP leaders attending meeting also said that they told Sushma that the government was interfering in the activities of all institution and latest example was judiciary and chief justice SK Sinha was sent to ‘forced leave and compelled to go to abroad.’
They also said that Sushma tells BNP leaders that she wanted BNP to take part in the next general elections.
BNP leaders including standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Amir Khoshru Mahmud Chowdhury were present.
Sushma arrived in Dhaka on Sunday noon on a two-day visit to co-chair foreign minister level meeting of India -Bangladesh Joint Consultive Commission.
Khaleda had a meeting with the Indian external affairs minister Sushma at the same venue in 2014 while Sushma came in Dhaka.
Source: New Age