BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has described her first meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘very nice’.
Published : 07 Jun 2015, 04:32 PM
Her entourage reached Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka Hotel at 3:45pm Sunday, right after Opposition Leader Raushon Ershad left the hotel after meeting Modi, on the second day of his maiden state visit to Dhaka.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, who head the JaSaD and Workers’ Party respectively, were next in line.
The BNP chief then met the Indian prime minister at Sonargaon’s Surma suite for nearly an hour.
Three BNP Standing Committee members Tariqul Islam, Nazrul Islam Khan and Abdul Moyeen Khan accompanied her.
Former diplomats Riaz Rahman and Sabih Uddin Ahmed were also present.
“Modi held one-on-one talks with Khaleda for about 15 minutes,” Moyeen Khan later told bdews24.com.
He said Khaleda was first to speak at the meeting and was followed by Modi.
“Mutual relations of the two countries were discussed in a nice and free and frank environment,” he added.
Khan said the BNP delegation told Modi that relations between the two peoples would have to be built for forging ‘good relations’ between the two countries.
“Which party is in power is not the main issue. Party will come (to power) and go. But the people will always remain. That’s why relations between the two peoples have to be built for forging long-term relations of friendship and trust,” he said.
Asked why the BNP complained of ‘lack of democracy’ in Bangladesh in the meeting with Modi, Khan said he was a leader, who believed in democracy and reached the top government position from the grassroots level.
“It has been possible as the democratic institutions have been strengthened. Discussions on democracy can be held with those who value democracy. That’s why we have talked (about the matter),” he said.
The BNP leader answered in the negative when he was asked if they talked about the party’s demand for snap polls.
“Our demands don’t concern him,” he said.
Khan said democracy came up for discussion as continuation of democratic process was important in the advancement of Bangladesh.
He said Modi had emphasised regional development. “We made it clear that sustainable development is not possible without democracy,” he added.
“If (Bangladesh) is to be turned into a middle-income country, it will not be possible only by construction of big buildings. People have to be given the freedom of speech. People’s rights have to be returned,” he added.
Asked about any chance of BNP’s discussions with the Awami League, Khan said: “It’s very difficult to discuss democracy with those who destroyed democracy.”
Asked what the reactions of the Indian prime minister were to the BNP’s complaints, he said: “They (Indian side) will state that. It will not be proper for me to talk about that.”
Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran were present at the meeting.
Khaleda’s gifts for Modi, his mother
Khaleda gifted Modi a panjabi and coat, and his mother Heeraben Modi Zamdani sari and shawl.
BNP leaders said the gifts had been sent to the Indian High Commissioner on Saturday night.
The BNP has been hailing Modi’s Dhaka visit, after Khaleda faced massive criticism for shunning a scheduled visit with India’s President Pranab Mukherjee who arrived in Dhaka in March, 2013.
The BNP’s ally Jamaat-e-Islami was enforcing a shutdown on the day he arrived.
The BNP has been praising Modi, who swept to power through the 2014 polls, and claimed it never pursued anti-India politics.
Khaleda had met former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh at Sonargaon hotel during his 2011 Dhaka visit.
Last year, she also met and embraced Sushma Swaraj, the external affairs minister of India.