Govt tried hard to foil Modi meeting: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has alleged that a conspiracy was in action to keep her from meeting Indian Prime Minister Naredndra Modi during his recent visit to Bangladesh.
She told the Indian news portal ‘The Sunday Guardian’ that the Bangladesh government had “tried whatever they could to see to it that the meeting did not happen”.
Khaleda thanked India for ensuring that it did finally take place.
She was asked about speculation in Dhaka about the possibility of her refusing to meet the Indian prime minister just as she had called off a meeting with the country’s President Pranab Mulherjee in March 2013.
“Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali publicly ruled out ‘any possibility’ of my meeting PM Narendra Modi during his stay in Bangladesh,” she said during the interview.
“But then, New Delhi put out the facts straight. On the eve of the prime minister's visit and just hours after the statement from Bangladesh, Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said in New Delhi that it was very much on and would happen.
“How can you justify this? I am thankful to the Indian authorities as this government in Bangladesh tried whatever they could to see to it that the meeting did not happen.
“They did not want me to have any discussion with Modiji.”
About her skipping the meeting with Mukherjee, Khaleda said it was purely for security concerns.