The BNP told visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday that Bangladesh was lacking democracy and the “so-called” parliament does not reflect the people’s will.
“Regional development will be hampered in the absence of democracy in Bangladesh. We believe development is impossible without democracy and, therefore, it must be restored,” party standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan quoted Khaleda Zia as telling the Indian foreign minister.
In her 40-minute-long meeting with Khaleda Zia, the Indian foreign minister said India wanted to establish a good relationship with the people of Bangladesh, and not with any specific political party.
The meeting started around 10:25am at Hotel Sonargaon. Khaleda and Swaraj also had a 15-minute-long private meeting.
Khaleda had met Sushma once in 2012 during her Delhi visit. Sushma was then the opposition leader in India’s Lok Sabha.
Quoting the visiting Indian minister, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said: “The Indian government is interested in keeping a good relationship with the people of Bangladesh, not with any specific political party. It wants people-to-people contact, which was Saarc’s main goal.”
The Indian foreign minister said the new Indian government, in line with the Saarc goal, will take new initiatives so that the South Asian people can work together in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere.
The BNP has also urged India to take quick steps in order to resolve the longstanding bilateral issues between the two countries.
Mobin said: “During the meeting, the BNP chief discussed a number of bilateral issues with the visiting Indian minister.
She requested the Indian foreign minister to take quick steps to resolve the longstanding bilateral issues between Bangladesh and India.”
In reply, Sushma assured her of looking into the matter sincerely, saying they have already made progress in solving the pending issues. “But, they are placing their efforts in forging a national consensus on the issues,” Mobin said, quoting Sushma.
Responding to a query about whether the party sought Indian assistance for the arrangement of midterm elections in Bangladesh, Mobin said: “We did not discuss the issue as it is our internal issue.”
Mobin said Khaleda congratulated the newly elected Modi government again saying a ray of hope has arisen among the people of Bangladesh which will open up a new chapter in the Bangladesh-India bilateral issues.
When asked about whether India invited Khaleda to visit India, Mobin said: “The issue was not discussed in the meeting.”
Among others, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khaleda’s Advisers Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, Reaz Rahman and Sabih Uddin Ahmed and BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan attended the meeting.