Khaleda contradicts PM's view about ports' underutilization
Monday, 18 January 2010
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia Sunday contradicted Hasina's argument that Chittagong and Mongla ports were underutilised and allowing India to use them would ensure full use of their capacity and bring enormous benefits, report agencies.
In a televised press conference the BNP chairperson claimed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina "signed a secret security deal" with New Delhi during her recent trip to India.
Referring to reports of a section of the media, Khaleda also claimed the prime minister had also signed a security deal "in secret" with India. "She (Hasina) kept mum on the deal during her press conference suggesting that the reports are correct."
Khaleda was speaking to newsmen, a day after the Prime Minister told a press conference in the city that she had succeeded in securing national interests through the accords.
The opposition leader also announced her party stance straightway rejecting the joint communiqué issued on the outcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit and made a clarion call for the nation to stand against what she termed a 'sellout of Bangladesh'.
She spurned the Prime Minister's call for the opposition to join parliament and discuss her India trip, saying there is no use discussing the deals already signed giving a carte blanche to New Delhi.
The former prime minister categorically called upon all individuals, groups, social forces and political parties to forge national unity to stand against the agreements, MoU and protocol signed between Bangladesh and India "against the country's interests" during her political rival's January 10 trip to Delhi.
As part of "greater movement" against the outcome of PM's New Delhi treaties, they will soon hold talks with students, youth, workers, women, businessmen, and professionals in phases alongside ongoing programmes of movement,
The BNP chairperson, who has long been leading a boycott of parliament sessions, posed a question if there was any scope for discussion in parliament after giving 'bond of slavery' through Sheikh Hasina's India tour.
She demanded elaborate publishing of the contents of all agreements, MoUs and protocol signed with the Indian government during the PM's visit before the people. Furthermore, she demanded government's clear statement over the reported 'secret security deal' with India during the PM's Delhi visit.
On the "secret deal" she said Sheikh Hasina "brought nothing back" from her recently-concluded tour of India and said the deals signed had amounted to "a sell-out" of Bangladesh's interests.
The BNP chairperson launched the broadside against her political foe from a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office in the afternoon. The press meet was arranged to give her party's formal statement against the outcome of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit and her summit talks with Indian premier Dr Manmohan Singh that produced broad accords on major matters like trade, transit, terrorism, transfer of sentenced persons, among others.
During her about 40-minute written statement and answers to questions from reporters for about 20 minutes, Khaleda Zia mentioned previous and present Awami League government's "anti-nation" agreements signed with India, the government's various anti-nation moves and attempts.
She explained the drawbacks and negative impacts of recent agreements as well as her party's stand to face the issues.
BNP leaders Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Dr RA Gani, Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Brig Gen (Retd) Hannan Shah, Sarwari Rahman, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Reaz Rahman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Zainul Abdin Farooque and BNP chairperson's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan were also present at the press conference.
The opposition chief dodged a query whether she, if elected again, would scrap the deals signed by Hasina. "I haven't seen the agreements," she said, prompting another question: "So what are you objecting to."
Khaleda replied: "The joint communique has it all."
"Everything Bangladesh had to offer, it handed to India on this visit," Khaleda said, as senior party leaders, including BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, other standing and advisory committee members, sat in attendance behind her.
The opposition leader also criticised what she termed as the prime minister's "indifference" to the Tipaimukh dam issue.
In a televised press conference the BNP chairperson claimed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina "signed a secret security deal" with New Delhi during her recent trip to India.
Referring to reports of a section of the media, Khaleda also claimed the prime minister had also signed a security deal "in secret" with India. "She (Hasina) kept mum on the deal during her press conference suggesting that the reports are correct."
Khaleda was speaking to newsmen, a day after the Prime Minister told a press conference in the city that she had succeeded in securing national interests through the accords.
The opposition leader also announced her party stance straightway rejecting the joint communiqué issued on the outcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit and made a clarion call for the nation to stand against what she termed a 'sellout of Bangladesh'.
She spurned the Prime Minister's call for the opposition to join parliament and discuss her India trip, saying there is no use discussing the deals already signed giving a carte blanche to New Delhi.
The former prime minister categorically called upon all individuals, groups, social forces and political parties to forge national unity to stand against the agreements, MoU and protocol signed between Bangladesh and India "against the country's interests" during her political rival's January 10 trip to Delhi.
As part of "greater movement" against the outcome of PM's New Delhi treaties, they will soon hold talks with students, youth, workers, women, businessmen, and professionals in phases alongside ongoing programmes of movement,
The BNP chairperson, who has long been leading a boycott of parliament sessions, posed a question if there was any scope for discussion in parliament after giving 'bond of slavery' through Sheikh Hasina's India tour.
She demanded elaborate publishing of the contents of all agreements, MoUs and protocol signed with the Indian government during the PM's visit before the people. Furthermore, she demanded government's clear statement over the reported 'secret security deal' with India during the PM's Delhi visit.
On the "secret deal" she said Sheikh Hasina "brought nothing back" from her recently-concluded tour of India and said the deals signed had amounted to "a sell-out" of Bangladesh's interests.
The BNP chairperson launched the broadside against her political foe from a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office in the afternoon. The press meet was arranged to give her party's formal statement against the outcome of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit and her summit talks with Indian premier Dr Manmohan Singh that produced broad accords on major matters like trade, transit, terrorism, transfer of sentenced persons, among others.
During her about 40-minute written statement and answers to questions from reporters for about 20 minutes, Khaleda Zia mentioned previous and present Awami League government's "anti-nation" agreements signed with India, the government's various anti-nation moves and attempts.
She explained the drawbacks and negative impacts of recent agreements as well as her party's stand to face the issues.
BNP leaders Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Dr RA Gani, Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Brig Gen (Retd) Hannan Shah, Sarwari Rahman, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Reaz Rahman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Zainul Abdin Farooque and BNP chairperson's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan were also present at the press conference.
The opposition chief dodged a query whether she, if elected again, would scrap the deals signed by Hasina. "I haven't seen the agreements," she said, prompting another question: "So what are you objecting to."
Khaleda replied: "The joint communique has it all."
"Everything Bangladesh had to offer, it handed to India on this visit," Khaleda said, as senior party leaders, including BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, other standing and advisory committee members, sat in attendance behind her.
The opposition leader also criticised what she termed as the prime minister's "indifference" to the Tipaimukh dam issue.