Credit deal with India not ‘good’ for BD: BNP

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UNB, Dhaka :
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that the credit deal with India is not ‘good’ for Bangladesh due to its tough conditions and slow disbursement.
“The projects taken under the Indian Line of Credit are yet to see the light due to the imposition of tough conditions. The disbursement of the second credit of $2 00 crore signed in 2016 is yet to begin while only $37.6
crore out of the first credit of $100 crore has been released over the last seven years. The new credit deal which was signed with tough conditions won’t be good for the country,” he said.
The BNP leader came up with the comments while speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh and India signed the final agreement of $4.5 billion third Indian Line of Credit (LoC) during the visit of Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Rizvi said, the condition of the Indian credit deal is much harder than any other country and the deadline for payment is also shorter. “Overall the Indian credit is not comfortable.”
He said the implementation process of the projects taken under the credit will be very time-consuming one and the interest will be higher due to the tough conditions.
The BNP leader came down hard on Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, now in India, for his comment that Bangladesh cannot remain isolated in the name of sovereignty. “His comment has surprised us. His remark has reflected the government’s policy to put the country’s independence and sovereignty at stake.”
Rizvi said, the government cannot protest the killing of Bangladeshis along the border by the Indian security force for its knee-jerk foreign policy.
He alleged that the government is trying to send Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha abroad after sending him on forced leave in the name of ailment.
The BNP also criticised the government for not allowing the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) leaders to meet the Chief Justice.
He questioned why the government is not allowing the SCBA leaders to meet the CJ though the Law Minister and PM’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi met him. “There might be any conspiracy against the Chief Justice and that’s why senior lawyers are barred from meeting him.”
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