Khaleda urges India to stop border killings

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BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Friday urged the Indian government to put an end to the regular incidence of killing of Bangladeshi citizens in border areas, reports UNB. Khaleda made the request when she made a courtesy call on visiting Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari at his Hotel Sonargaon suite this morning. She said Bangladeshi people in border areas feel insecure as innocent people are being killed regularly, and the Indian government should take the matter seriously. Indian Vice President Ansari told Khaleda that the Indian government and people want to build good relations with Bangladesh. Responding to him, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda said BNP as well as the people of Bangladesh also want good relations with India. She said solutions to some outstanding problems between the two countries should be found, which will increase confidence between the two peoples. And ultimately it would help to strengthen relations between the two neighbouring countries, she added. The meeting that lasted more than 30 minutes was held in a very friendly atmosphere, and also discussed the issue of large trade gap between the two countries, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, who was present at the meeting told waiting reporters. The BNP chairperson said mutual respect and benefit through cooperation hold the key to promoting good relations between the two neighbours. Khaleda said there is demand for many Bangladeshi products in India but the businessmen can't export due to various reasons. She also told the Indian vice president that broadcast of Bangladeshi TV programmes in India should be allowed as it has demand in India, particularly in the eastern and western regions. Ansari assured her of all cooperation to this end, saying it was not a difficult job, and requires only a formality not even at the government level, but at the private level. Welcoming the Vice President Ansari to Bangladesh, she said such visits will help enhance relations between the two countries and expressed the hope that more such visits would take place in future. The leader of the opposition conveyed her greetings to the Indian President, Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Ghandi through the vice president. BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Khaleda's advisers Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.