Newly appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has described ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina as a “fugitive criminal” who fled to India after the killing of 1,500 people.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after paying tribute to the martyrs at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar on Saturday.
Responding to a question about Hasina and others who have fled to India, Humaiun said: “Sheikh Hasina is a fugitive criminal. She went to India after killing 1,500 people. Not only her, there are others who are criminals and have fled to India.”
“This is a natural demand, so that we engage with India through that process,” he said.
On Bangladesh-India relations, the state minister said Bangladesh wanted a positive relationship with its neighbor.
“So, we will engage. We want a positive relationship with India. They are our neighbour. We showed a working relationship. Not just India, we cannot do anything with any country by compromising our national interest,” he said.
Humaiun said Bangladesh would work toward reaching a consensus based on its national interest before considering a visit to India.
“Then we can visit India. If we can do it by tomorrow, then we can visit next week. There is no rush here. There are matters of discussion and matters of working,” he said.
“A prime minister-to-prime minister visit cannot just happen,” the state minister added.
Commenting on Hasina’s recent press conference, Humaiun said: “Sheikh Hasina’s press conference has hurt people’s sentiments. And we will proceed based on the national interest.”
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Saching Prue and State Minister Mohammad Shamim Kaisar Lincoln were present at the event.