Refuge to Hasina may evoke adverse reactions against India: BNP leaders

A BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh hope that the Indian government will "not always support a corrupt and dictatorial regime like the Awami League

Indo-Bangla bilateral ties are not dependent on the Awami League and it is "natural to evoke adverse reactions" in Bangladesh over India giving refuge to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Senior leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Friday.

Asserting that India was "very important" to Bangladesh, Senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told PTI over the phone from Dhaka that "it is high time to start a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Hossain also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory message to the interim government in Bangladesh and hoped that the Indian government would no longer continue to support the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country following a mass uprising.

 

Echoing similar sentiments, BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo said it would have been better had Hasina not fled to India.

"It would have been better had she not fled to India, as we are yearning to have good relations with India. Bangladesh and its people believe and see India as a friend," Mintoo told PTI.

He noted, however, that India is well within its rights, as per international law, to give refuge to someone they choose.

Hossain said, "the impact of Sheikh Hasina getting refuge in India is quite natural. For example, if I don't like you and someone else is supporting you, then I will naturally have a dislike for that person too. It is natural to have adverse reactions. But the fact is India-Bangladesh always shared good ties irrespective of whether the Awami League or Sheikh Hasina is in power."

"When BNP was in power, I was a minister in the Bangladesh government; we had seen how both countries shared an excellent relationship. India is very important to Bangladesh, as India has always supported the people of Bangladesh. Both countries will continue to have good bilateral ties," he added.

The 77-year-old leader said the people of Bangladesh hope that the Indian government will "not always support a corrupt and dictatorial regime like the Awami League."

"We think the people of India have also realised this," he said.

When asked if the BNP wants Hasina to be handed over to Bangladesh, he replied, "It is for the interim government to decide; as BNP, we have not taken a call on it."

Hossain also expressed hope that normalcy and democratic rights of the people would be restored at the earliest under the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Prof Yunus took the oath as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh. Yunus, 84, was administered the oath of office by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a ceremony in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. She flew to the Hindon air base, near Delhi, in a Bangladesh military aircraft on Monday.

The veteran BNP leader welcomed the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka attending the swearing-in ceremony of the interim government on Thursday, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory message to the new regime. "It is high time to start a new chapter in bilateral relations," he asserted.

"The Indian Prime Minister has congratulated the new interim regime; the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka attended the ceremony. So we feel that India supports the new interim government and does not support those who fled the country," he said.

Prime Minister Modi on Thursday extended best wishes to Muhammad Yunus as he took the oath as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh, hoping for an early return to normalcy and ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in that country.

On his part, Mintoo said it is a "well-known fact in Bangladesh" that it was due to the support of their big neighbour that the Awami League could continue in power for so long despite deep resentment against its government.

Speaking on India's closeness with the Awami League, Mintoo said, "It might have a small and temporary impact on bilateral ties, but it is in the interest of Bangladesh that it should not be long-standing."

"It is in the interest of Bangladesh that we should have very good relations with India. I would not have said this had this been any other neighbouring country like Bhutan or Nepal, but India is a very big country and one of the largest economies in the world. For the sake of good bilateral ties, both countries need to sit and talk and resolve the differences," he said.

When asked about the INDIA OUT campaign in Bangladesh, both Hossain and Mintoo said these are "stray and temporary incidents" and neither the people of Bangladesh nor the BNP support such campaigns.

Mintoo said the new interim government of Bangladesh should immediately engage in dialogue with India to resolve all issues.

Regarding the comments during an interview to PTI by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Sheikh Hasina, that his mother will return to Bangladesh as soon as democracy is restored, Mintoo said, "Whether she wants to return or not is up to her; we can't comment on it."

"The law of Bangladesh will take its own course. There are several cases of corruption and human rights violations during the Awami League regime," he said.

Although Mintoo didn't mention any timeline, he noted that his party, led by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, wants elections to be held at the earliest so that a democratic government can be established.

At least 469 people have died in the anti-government protests in Bangladesh in nearly three weeks since the protests began in July.