BNP accuses India of backing AL

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has accused India of trying to bring ruling Awami League to power again.

He criticised the country’s High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran for his recent meetings with political leaders and the Election Commission.

The former minister said, “Whatever efforts the Pankaj Sarans may make, they cannot retain Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in power.”

He made the remark in his address to a rally of the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance at Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday.

Referring to newspaper reports on the Indian envoy, Abbas said: “He’s boasting. He’s saying that they’ve interest in Bangladesh.”

“That’s why the Indian envoy is meeting (HM) Ershad, the Election Commission and ministers.

“I would like to tell him, you’re only seeing your own interest and not the interest of the people of this country,” he added.

US Ambassador Dan Mozena visited New Delhi last month amid political unrest over the polls-time government, giving rise to media speculation over American and Indian positions on Bangladesh.

The Opposition BNP is demanding a non-party caretaker government to oversee the next elections but the ruling Awami League is moving ahead with its plan to hold the polls under an ‘all-party’ administration.

US diplomats, on different occasions, recently said that their country and India have common stand on Bangladesh – a claim refuted by Delhi.

India said it was against any foreign intervention in Bangladesh’s affairs and maintained that the people of Bangladesh would determine their future.

Abbas in his speech referred to a report in India’s Anandabazar newspaper that claimed Delhi was favouring the Awami League.

“They (India) want to bring the Awami League to power again. Bringing anyone to power this way is an illegal act. The country’s people won’t let it happen,” he said.