Khaleda says BNP still sceptical about Modi’s policy towards Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia says the BNP is waiting to get a “clear picture” on how India’s BJP government will develop its relations with Bangladesh.

But she has so far found “no indications” of any resolution of two key issues – Teesta water-sharing treaty and ratification of the land boundary agreement.

“We need to wait some more time before a clear picture emerges on how the new government in India seeks to develop its relations with Bangladesh,” she told The Times of India in an interview.

Her comment was contrary to the common perception about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s good neighbourhood policy, especially after he invited all SAARC heads of state and government at his swearing-in ceremony.

He also sent his External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh in her first stand-alone visit, when she conveyed that they would build on the momentum of the relations.

Despite regime change, Delhi also signalled at resolving the pending issues as early as possible.

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Khaleda in her interview to The Times of India’s Jaideep Mazumdar said many in Bangladesh saw this “as a failure of the Awami League government to pursue the vital national interest of Bangladesh”.

“The present dispensation in Dhaka lacks any legitimacy and hence is not in any position to speak for the people of Bangladesh.

“Nobody even takes them seriously, let alone engages them in any serious negotiations,” she said, despite the government’s recent victories in two global parliamentary forum elections and becoming member of the UN Human Rights Council through direct ballots.

The BNP leader also shared her views on issues that she wanted to see resolved in India-Bangladesh relations and reiterated that her ties with the Jamaat-e-Islami was “an electoral understanding, by no means an ideological one”.

On the contrary, she said that the Awami League had “a long history of close relations with the Jamaat and other extremist religious groups”.

Known for her anti-India rhetoric, Khaleda, however, tried to undo such perceptions by saying that there was “a concerted campaign to create an impression that BNP is not friendly towards India”.

“This is far from the truth,” she said.

She said, as India's closest neighbour, “It is our expectation that the NDA government will adopt policies that will be responsive to the hopes and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh.”

“We also hope New Delhi will earnestly work towards finding mutually beneficial solutions to our outstanding issues like sharing the waters of our common rivers, the killing of innocent Bangladeshis along the border areas, the land boundary issue and increasing trade imbalance, among others.”

“This will generate trust among the people on both sides and give our relations greater depth and firm footing,” she observed.

The former prime minister, however, said what policies the new government would “adopt in terms of India's relations with her neighbours are yet to be seen”.

“We note with hope his assurances of resolving our outstanding bilateral issues. The Prime Minister's emphasis on strengthening SAARC is a welcome move,” she said.

She said her party, being “the largest political party in Bangladesh” would be interested to interact with the top BJP leadership.

“The people of Bangladesh have put their faith in us and elected us to office a number of times.

“It is only logical, therefore, that regular contact between our party and BJP as well as other major political parties in India at various levels should be a norm in the interest of strengthening our bilateral relations.

“Such contacts would enable both sides to address all issues that are of interest to our people,” she said.

Khaleda also believed that the BNP’s relations with the BJP would flourish, despite Jamaat ties.

“BNP will always set its own policies. We will do all that is needed to ensure the welfare of our people in close collaboration with our neighbours and other friends in the international community.

“Our relations with BJP will be fostered in that light,” she said.

She, however, said Bangladeshis remained “unaware about the extent and details” of the security agreements with India, though her rival Sheikh Hasina has been much-appreciated for rooting out extremisms.

“…none of which (security agreements) has been made public,” she said.