A parliamentary watchdog said yesterday that the government will not be uncomfortable with the new Indian regime as the latter never changes their foreign policy after a power changeover.
The first meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the foreign ministry yesterday discussed the recent Indian general election results and some related issues.
“For the last 62 years India has never changed its foreign policy overnight after a new government came to power and that is why it will not create any problems for us; there is nothing to be scared of,” said Muhammad Faruk Khan, who is a committee member and also a former commerce minister.
Emerging out of the meeting he said the committee had just discussed the Indian polls, and nothing else.
“The BNP thinks that the change in the regime of India will benefit them greatly but this notion is completely wrong,” Faruk quoted the other members as saying.
“The Awami League always maintains friendly relations with the neighbouring countries and their governments. It does not matter which party comes to power or which one goes out of power. It will never hamper relations with Bangladesh,” he observed.
“Geographically, Bangladesh is located in a more advantageous position and that is why India wants us as their best friend,” he added.
The meeting, referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to India’s prime minister-elect, the BJP old guard Narendra Modi, said Bangladesh will continue to have a warm relation with India.
Earlier, a BNP spokesperson said the Awami League was “at a loss”after the Indian National Congress, which had ruled India for long ten years and built a warm relation with Dhaka, faced a humiliating loss to the BJP.
It is feared that the relation between Bangladesh and India will suffer quite a jolt under the new BJP government, especially with Modi’s threat to push back those he described as “Muslim migrants from Bangladesh” during his election campaigns.
But both the BJP and the ruling Awami League have given assurances of smooth relations between India and Bangladesh.
Committee Chairman Dr Dipu Moni presided over the meeting.