The Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, Pankaj Saran, on Thursday told the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, that the Indian government wanted to work with the government of Bangladesh reflecting people’s aspirations. Pankaj made the remarks when he had a meeting with Khaleda at her Gulshan office at 8:15pm, said BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury at a briefing after the meeting that lasted over an hour.
The BNP leader said that India wanted that the people of Bangladesh would elect their government as per their desire.
Shamsher said Khaleda told Pankaj that Bangladesh wanted to maintain good relations with all countries on the basis of mutual benefit and equal dignity.
He said the Indian high commissioner said they would maintain relation with the BNP and would hold talks with Khaleda Zia in the days ahead.
Shamsher said that Pankaj hoped that the people of Bangladesh would decide what type of government they wanted.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and discussed bilateral and regional matters, he said.
During the meeting Pankaj recalled various cooperation and enhanced relation with the BNP government in the past, Shamsher said, adding that the Indian high commissioner hoped that the relation with the BNP would further improve in the future.
Khaleda conveyed greetings to the Indian president and prime minister through the high commissioner.
BNP leaders Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed, among others, were present.
The Indian envoy did not have any meeting with the BNP chief after the January 5 election boycotted by the opposition including the BNP-led alliance.
Delhi extended its support to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s new government saying that the election was necessary for fulfilling constitutional obligations with the western countries pressing for an inclusive election.
Earlier on the day the Indian high commissioner also met with the new opposition leader, Rawshan Esrhad, at her house sidling Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad.
Jatiya party leaders kept mum over the meeting.
The party insiders hinted that India was embarrassed after Ershad in December had divulged the contents of discussion between him and the Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh. They also found Pankaj’s meeting with Rawshan as an outcome of that embarrassment.
Pankaj left Rawshan’s house at 5:50pm on Thursday, said the party joint office secretary Abul Hassan Ahmed Jewel.
Ershad on December 3, 2013 announced to boycott the polls because of being a non-inclusive one and on December 4, 2013 he asked all the candidates to withdraw candidature.
Golam Moshiah, the secretary general of the Jatiya Party faction led by Kazi Zafar Ahmad, was also present during the meeting of Pankaj with Rawshan.
‘Golam Moshiah has a family relation with Rawshan and that was why he visited Rawshan’s house just before her meeting with Pankaj,’ said Kazi Zafar, who launched a new faction of Jatiya Party on December 20, 2013.
Courtesy of New Age
