RAW played a role in 2014 polls, Mirza Fakhrul believes

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has termed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's comments 'irresponsible' that the Indian intelligence agency RAW and the US put the BNP in power in 2001.

The BNP leader retorted that India's top intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) played a role in keeping the Awami League in power through its re-election in 2014.

Hasina told the council of Juba Mohila League on Saturday that it was an RAW-US conspiracy to gain control over Bangladesh's natural gas that led to the Awami League's defeat in 2001.

On Monday, Mirza Fakhrul told a press conference at the BNP's headquarters in Naya Paltan: "We are shocked at the prime minister's comments. We couldn't even imagine how a prime minister made such irresponsible remarks."  

"She has made it clear through her remarks that the foreigners are active in this country and they interfered in the change of different types of government in different times," he added.

The BNP leader wondered whether the Awami League too came to power by 'signing bonds' with the foreigners if they were 'truly' behind the BNP's win in elections.

Referring to the then Indian foreign secretary's visit to Dhaka before Jan 5, 2014, elections, he said, "The Indian foreign secretary came and rushed to all the places. He took Mr Ershad (Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad) to the elections."

"So, shall we and the people consider that the RAW..the Indian government… played the key role in the 2014 elections?" he asked.

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