AL tried to turn country into a virtual province of India: Dudu

BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Saturday alleged that the previous Awami League (AL) government had tried to turn Bangladesh into a 'virtual province', of India, reports UNB.

"It will be difficult to protect Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty in the future without this government. Because the previous AL government under Sheikh Hasina continuously tried to transform Bangladesh into a virtual province of India," he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a discussion organised by BNP marking the Historic Farakka Day. BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was present as the chief guest.

Paying tribute to Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Dudu described him as the architect of the Farakka movement.

"I pay my respects to the oppressed people's leader Maulana Bhashani. I also pay tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, who played an important behind-the-scenes role in the Farakka movement," he said.

Dudu said concerns over water sharing and Bangladesh's survival had remained central issues since the days of Maulana Bhashani."Even today, the struggle over water has not ended," he said.

Referring to the Farakka Barrage issue, he alleged that Bangladesh suffered major losses when the Awami League government and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman allowed India to experimentally operate the Farakka Barrage without proper discussion."The damage to Bangladesh began from that very decision," he said. He also criticised former prime minister Sheikh Hasina over water-sharing issues during her tenure.