Signing 10 MoUs with India ‘new version of slavery’: Fakhrul

FE REPORT

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) termed on Sunday the 10 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed with India as a 'new version of slavery' of the Awami League government.

"In the name of connectivity, India was given corridor for railway communication from its one part to another part through using Bangladesh soil which will jeopardise the country's independence and sovereignty," the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina engaged in deep conspiracy to push the country to embrace long-term slavery through these accords (MoUs) with India. The people of the country will never accept these anti-people accords," he made the observation at a press briefing at the party chairperson's political office in the capital's Gulshan area.

Bangladesh and India signed 10 MoUs, including seven new and three renewed, in the presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

"We must remember the accord signed (25 years) with India in 1972. And as part of its continuation, the accords that were signed in disguise of MoUs on June 22, 2024 would make Bangladesh a lifelong slave to India. And the country's independence and sovereignty will be at stake," he said.

He also said that through these MoUs the country's (Bangladesh) defense and national security being made part to India's national defense and national security.

"It is very dangerous and a direct threat to the country's independence. It also goes against the policy of peaceful coexistence and non-aligned policy. Actually, Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister) wants to give India to use Bangladesh as 'buffer state' as part of regional geo-politics," he continued.

He said due to this reason Bangladesh will fall into the regional geo-political conflict.

Mr Fakhrul Islam further said that out of 10 MoUs, seven (7) were new that would allow India (in time of needs) to transport its civil and military goods through using Bangladesh soil through railway connectivity bypassing its (India) chicken neck or Shiliguri Corridor).

"India gets land and river transits that reduce time and length between seven sisters (Indian north eastern seven provinces) with the rest of India. The distance between Kolkata and Agartala comes down to 350 kilometres from 1,700 kilometres," he said.

"The ruling Awami League doesn't represent the people and so they have no accountability to the people. They are not serious about protecting people's rights. Bangladesh will achieve nothing from the 10 MoUs signed with India," he maintained.

He said that issues like removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers with India didn't get space in the MoUs.

Mr Fakhrul alleged that the government did not raise the issue of killing of Bangladeshi people by the Indian Border Security Force with India.

He said that these types of border killings were very rare on India- China or India- Pakistan borders.

BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Nazrul Islam Khan and Begum Selima Rahman were present.