No country could interfere in polls as India stood beside Bangladesh: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Saturday said no powerful country could interfere in the last national parliament election as India stood beside Bangladesh, reports BSS.

India did not interfere in Bangladesh's election while many powerful countries tried to influence the polls, he said while addressing the biennial conference of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad at Dhakeshwari National Temple in the afternoon.

Quader said, "We conducted our elections. India did not interfere. They (India) said, 'let Bangladesh decide Bangladesh's election. Many powers in the world wanted to play an evil game here. India stood strongly by our side."

He said the relations between the two countries have reached a new height under the leaderships of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Different problems, including border issues, were solved through discussions with India, he said, adding positive progress has been achieved over the Teesta water sharing agreement, "but we have to keep patience".

He said it is not possible to solve those problems by creating any bitterness.

"In the independence struggle of this country, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, everyone had contributed. No one's contribution is less," the minister said.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma inaugurated the conference.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, Minister of State for Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council general secretary Rana Dasgupta addressed the discussion as special guests with Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad president J L Bhowmik in the chair.