UNB, Dhaka :
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at a meeting with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said democracy is now absent in Bangladesh.
During a briefing after the meeting, BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said BNP informed the Indian Minister that democracy is now absent in Bangladesh and the so-called parliament does not reflect people’s will here.
“Whether India, being the largest democratic and big neighbour country, wants such democracy in Bangladesh,” he noted.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and BNP Chairperson’s advisers Riaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed, and party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accompanied Khaleda Zia at the meeting held at Sonargaon Hotel’s Bengal Suite.
Drawing attention to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy that development is not possible without democracy, the BNP leaders said the democracy of Bangladesh will have to be restored.
Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury briefed the media after
Khaleda Zia’s 35-minute meeting with Sushma from 10:35am to11:10am.
“Indian government wants to build relations with the people of Bangladesh, not with any particular party or any government. We want people-to-people contact, which is Saarc’s main goal,” Shamsher Mobin quoted Sushma as telling Khaleda Zia.
Quoting Sushma further, the BNP leader said the Indian new government, in line with the Saarc goal, will take new initiatives so that the South Asian people can work together in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere.
Replying to a query whether BNP sought Indian assistance for arrangement of midterm election in Bangladesh, Shamsher Mobin said the issue did not come up for discussion. “It’s our internal matter.”
During the meeting, Khaleda Zia again congratulated the Indian new government and told the Indian minister that the people of Bangladesh want deeper relations with India, Shamsher said.
“With the (recent general) election result of India, the ray of hope has arisen among the people of Bangladesh that it’ll open up a new chapter in the Bangladesh-India bilateral issues,” he quoted Khaleda as telling Sushma.
The BNP chairperson welcomed the initiatives taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the relations among the South Asian countries through Saarc.
Khaleda said the unresolved bilateral issues can be solved soon on the basis of mutual benefits following negotiations so that it will have positive impacts on the bilateral relations.
In response, the Indian External Affairs Minister said they have already made progress in solving the pending issues. “But, they’re on efforts to forge a national consensus about the issues,” he said.
Later, Khaleda and Sushma Swaraj held one-to-one meeting for 10 minutes.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at a meeting with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said democracy is now absent in Bangladesh.
During a briefing after the meeting, BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said BNP informed the Indian Minister that democracy is now absent in Bangladesh and the so-called parliament does not reflect people’s will here.
“Whether India, being the largest democratic and big neighbour country, wants such democracy in Bangladesh,” he noted.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and BNP Chairperson’s advisers Riaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed, and party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accompanied Khaleda Zia at the meeting held at Sonargaon Hotel’s Bengal Suite.
Drawing attention to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy that development is not possible without democracy, the BNP leaders said the democracy of Bangladesh will have to be restored.
Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury briefed the media after
Khaleda Zia’s 35-minute meeting with Sushma from 10:35am to11:10am.
“Indian government wants to build relations with the people of Bangladesh, not with any particular party or any government. We want people-to-people contact, which is Saarc’s main goal,” Shamsher Mobin quoted Sushma as telling Khaleda Zia.
Quoting Sushma further, the BNP leader said the Indian new government, in line with the Saarc goal, will take new initiatives so that the South Asian people can work together in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere.
Replying to a query whether BNP sought Indian assistance for arrangement of midterm election in Bangladesh, Shamsher Mobin said the issue did not come up for discussion. “It’s our internal matter.”
During the meeting, Khaleda Zia again congratulated the Indian new government and told the Indian minister that the people of Bangladesh want deeper relations with India, Shamsher said.
“With the (recent general) election result of India, the ray of hope has arisen among the people of Bangladesh that it’ll open up a new chapter in the Bangladesh-India bilateral issues,” he quoted Khaleda as telling Sushma.
The BNP chairperson welcomed the initiatives taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the relations among the South Asian countries through Saarc.
Khaleda said the unresolved bilateral issues can be solved soon on the basis of mutual benefits following negotiations so that it will have positive impacts on the bilateral relations.
In response, the Indian External Affairs Minister said they have already made progress in solving the pending issues. “But, they’re on efforts to forge a national consensus about the issues,” he said.
Later, Khaleda and Sushma Swaraj held one-to-one meeting for 10 minutes.
