Nothing to be over-enthusiastic, Tofail tells BNP about BJP

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said Saturday that Bangladesh's friendly relations with India would remain unhurt with the change of government in New Delhi, reports UNB.

"It's of no use to be overenthusiastic by BNP as it is a government-to-government and country-to-country relation. You (BNP) seem to be very happy. There's nothing to be so delighted. The relation (with AL) will remain unchanged," Tofail said this while speaking at a political discussion in the city sitting next to BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) arranged the discussion titled "Political Parties and Democracy in Bangladesh" at BRAC Centre Inn with its chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan in the chair.

The Commerce Minister suggested BNP to wait with patience for the next national election. "Let's wait. The next election will be held in time and peacefully," a smiling Tofail said.

Tofail said BNP is realising their mistake of boycotting the election. "At least you (Moudud) have realised the mistake."

He said the foreign friends who talked a lot about before the election are now very close to the government. "They're very close to us these days. There's no problem. Everything is settled," he added.

Apparently taunting Moudud, Tofail said: "We feel for you. We feel very bad when we don't see you in parliament."

Bemoaning that there is no democracy in the country, senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed warned Saturday there is a possibility of the emergence of fundamentalism if the current political situation cannot be reversed.

"I'm telling you as a citizen of the country, not as a politician, a political vacuum is prevailing in the country. There's no democracy here. Immoralities and falsehoods have largely engrossed the national politics. The consequence of this situation won't be good," he told the discussion.

Moudud, also a BNP standing committee member, further said: "The Narayanganj incident is just the beginning. If the current situation continues and a government stays in office which has no accountability there will be the recurrence of such incidents in the days to come."