Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said the long march of the BNP towards Teesta was its fresh political strategy.
“After failing to distort the country’s history, BNP announced the long march as part of its new strategy. However, the party failed again and achieved no success this time either,” Amu, also a member of the ruling Awami League’s advisory body, said while addressing a discussion at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital.
The BNP had done nothing about Teesta water sharing when it was in power, he said.
Referring to the Ganges Water Pact and settlement of maritime boundary, the minister claimed: “All the achievements of Bangladesh, both at national and international level, were made during the rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. No development was done under other governments.”
He also said BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Zia’s controversial claim on the first president of Bangladesh should not be taken seriously.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif criticised BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for his assertion that water flow in Teesta increased as a result of the party’s long march.
“You [Fakhrul] should continue the long march if water flow really increased in Teesta because of it,” he said.
Water problems would be solved once the new government in India took office following the ongoing general elections there.
The discussion was arranged by Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad marking the Mujibnagar Day.