Staff correspondent
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition in parliament, on Saturday demanded that the government should hold an open debate on the idea of signing an agreement with India allowing it land transit.
‘A decision on signing an agreement allowing [land] transit should be taken only after holding an open discussion,’ BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said at a discussion at the party’s city office at Nayapaltan in Dhaka. ‘We want to get down to the nitty-gritty of [the proposed] transit and share ideas with the people.’
He said the BNP would not accept approval of a transit ‘deal’ by the ‘rubber stamp’ parliament.
‘We will not support any agreement compromising the interests of the country and the people,’ he said.
Without naming the country, he said, ‘They could not win transit in the last 38 years. We [Bangladesh] are yet to get back our enclaves. We are yet to get a corridor from them [for trade with] Nepal.’
Pointing the finger at the ruling Awami League, Delwar said, ‘You are offering transit immediately after taking the helm….’
‘The government has raised the issue just before his [Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee] visit,’ he said adding, ‘Why the transit should be given, and in exchange of what?’
Pranab is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka February 8on a two-day official visit.
Commerce minister Faruk Khan reportedly said in Chittagong on Friday that the government was considering discussions on land transit with several neighbouring countries, including China, India, Myanmar and Nepal. ‘It would be discussed during the visit of Indian foreign minister [to Dhaka],’ he said.
Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, an associate body of the BNP for farmers, organised the discussion marking the 73rd anniversary of birth of the founder of the party and late president Ziaur Rahman.
Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal general secretary Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Krishak Dal general secretary Shamsuzzaman Dudu and Mahila Dal leader Shirin Sultana also spoke at the discussion. JKD president Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presided over the meeting.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
