Hasina’s stay in India no barrier to Bangladesh ties, says Fakhrul

A political reconciliation could not be achieved earlier as Yunus could not go “beyond the brief” by the July activists, he tells The Hindu

As Bangladesh stands on the brink of a political transition, senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has sought to decouple bilateral diplomacy from domestic reckoning, saying India-Bangladesh relations will not be “held captive” by the presence of Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi.

He made the remarks in an interview with The Hindu published on Monday, a day before the BNP is set to form the government after securing an absolute majority in the national election.

The Indian English daily said the BNP secretary general gave the interview in Dhaka at the party headquarters in Gulshan.

Fakhrul said Dhaka would pursue the legal process against the deposed prime minister over alleged human rights violations during the July Uprising and reiterated the demand for her extradition, but stressed that the issue should not hinder trade, development or broader cooperation.

“We believe India should hand her over to us. But not doing so will not be a deterrent to building broader relations, including trade and commercial ties. We want to build even better ties,” he was quoted as saying.

For 17 months, India has withheld a response to Bangladesh’s repeated demands to hand over Hasina and her top aides, who sought refuge across the border following the July Uprising in 2024.

Acknowledging “difficult issues” in bilateral ties -- including the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, border killings and water sharing -- Fakhrul stressed the need for dialogue.

“We can’t fight a war with India. We need to talk,” he said, adding that even countries like the United States and China continue engagement despite serious disputes.

Underscoring the BNP’s historical legacy, Fakhrul recalled that party founder Ziaur Rahman prioritised regional stability after Aug 1975, visiting India and hosting prime minister Morarji Desai in Dhaka, even while Hasina and her family were in refuge there.

He also cited Zia’s 1980 meeting with Indira Gandhi as a “statesmanlike approach”.

Fakhrul said the BNP favours political reconciliation at home, warning that cycles of revenge undermine democracy.

He argued that post-Uprising reconciliation failed because Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus was constrained by the “specific mandate” of the movement’s leaders and “could not go beyond the brief”.

Looking ahead, Fakhrul said India’s strength in technical education could help Bangladesh’s unemployed youth gain skills for overseas jobs, particularly in the Gulf.

He added that the incoming BNP government would review large-scale “mega projects” to cut waste and manage the heavy debt inherited from the previous Awami League administration, retaining only those that serve Bangladesh’s interests.