India behind Awami League: BNP

BNP sees an 'Indian hand' behind ruling Awami League acting tough against opposition parties and deciding to go ahead with polls without them.

A senior leader of the party has accused the neighbouring country of provoking the Awami League to 'oppress and repress the Opposition.

The latest BNP tirade against India comes a day after senior party leader Mirza Abbas criticised Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran during a discussion at National Press Club in capital Dhaka on Saturday.

Without naming India, BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir earlier had claimed the Awami League was trying to hold a unilateral election in keeping with an ‘international master plan’.

But on Saturday, Abbas went further and said, “The ghost of Indian Sindabad has got better of this government.”

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had last year visited India and met Indian leaders including President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh.

She had promised to them that if her party formed any government in future, it would not allow any Indian insurgents to use the soil of Bangladesh against India.

The BNP also had then said that India would like to have good ties with all political parties in Bangladesh and not just one.

Condemning the “India-instigated” oppression and repression, Abbas said in the past, police used to charge batons, fire rubber bullets and lob tear gas.

“I think the government is randomly firing at the provocation of a neighbouring country. This had never happen in the past.”

Cautioning the government against such action, Abbas said, “One day you will have to answer for all the bullets.”

“If it is possible to try anti-liberationists after 40 years, it will not be impossible, even after 40 years, to seek answers from those firing to kill . If needed, posthumous trials will be held.”

Claiming that the current government has become illegal, the BNP leader called on the administration, including police, not to obey their directives any more.

Criticising India’s High Commissioner Pankaj Saran, he again said, “An Indian official is boasting they have interest in Bangladesh. He is active in making Bangladesh a ‘puppet state’

Abbas said: “India wants to bring back the Awami League to power.”

“For this reason, the government is going to hold an unilateral election so that Bangladesh can be transformed into India’s ‘puppet state’.”

The BNP leader also censured the government over the power import from India and the proposed transit to India through Bangladesh.

“We have achieved this country through much blood and sacrifice not to be a lackey of anyone.”

“We won’t allow our independence to vanish. This country is not anybody’s estate that he or she will do whatever they will.”

Ziaur Rahman Foundation organised the discussion with its Executive Director Farhad Halim Doner in the chair on the occasion of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman’s birth anniversary.

Dhaka University’s former Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, Shikkhak Karmachari Oikhajote President Prof Selim Bhuiyan, among others, spoke at the discussion.