BNP says defence deal with India will endanger Bangladesh's existence

The BNP has alleged Bangladesh's defence system has been exposed through the signing of defence deals with India.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 8 April 2017, 07:18 PM
Updated : 8 April 2017, 07:18 PM

BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi says that the deals have risked Bangladesh's existence.

The BNP senior joint secretary general, speaking at a press conference on Saturday, said the people were kept in the dark about one of the defence MoUs signed with India.

He alleged the MoU was for the interest of 'those who have remained in power using force in Bangladesh'.

The deals were signed between the two countries after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Those include a pact on the defence cooperation framework apart from signing an agreement for extending a $500 million line of credit for military supplies.

An agreement between Defence Services Staff College in Tamil Nadu and Defence Services Command and Staff College in Dhaka was signed on cooperation in strategic and operational studies.

A deal between National Defence College in Dhaka and National Defence College in New Delhi was signed for enhancing cooperation in national security, development and strategic studies.

"Our defence system, which is related to protecting our independence, is the thing in which we find most pride. And this defence system has now been exposed to India," Rizvi said and added, "Our security, existence have been put in an endangered level through the signing of this MoU."

The BNP leader termed the signing of the defence deals 'a total insult to public opinion'.

"We think this is the ultimate betrayal of the country and the people. We strongly condemn and protest this," he said.

He also said: "Security or defence is solely an internal affair. This depends on the policymakers of our country how we will modernise, strengthen, and build it to compete with the world."