Fakhrul urges India to respect Bangladesh's sovereignty, democracy

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has urged India to respect Bangladesh's sovereignty and democracy.

"What kind of friendship is this? What kind of neighborly behavior is this? An attempt is being made to threaten the sovereignty of Bangladesh by spreading false and misleading information that minorities are being persecuted in Bangladesh," Mirza Fakhrul said while speaking as the chief guest at a conference organised at the Royal Regency Hall in East London, UK, yesterday (3 December).

The BNP secretary general, who is visiting the UK, protested the attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, India, and recent protests in front of the commission, reports Prothom Alo.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "[Former prime minister] Sheikh Hasina has killed 20,000 people in the last 15 years. She has caused the enforced disappearance of hundreds of people. India has given shelter to Hasina. She is sitting in India and is involved in a conspiracy against the people of Bangladesh."

Referring to India as Bangladesh's greatest neighbour and friend, Fakhrul said, "They [India] helped us during the great liberation war of 1971. India is a big country but we would like to request the country not to look down on us Bangladeshis who fought and gave their lives to become independent, who fought and achieved democracy, and who earned their rights with their blood. The people of Bangladesh will never accept that."

Mirza Fakhrul also said, "We would like to appeal to all our political parties that we will remain one and united on this issue. We will unite in this struggle to preserve our independence and sovereignty."

Addressing the interim government, Mirza Fakhrul said, "What is the responsibility of this government? The responsibility of this government is to quickly clean up this mess and hold elections as soon as possible. They want to do the reforms needed in the electoral system, administration, judiciary and economy quickly and then go for elections. They have said before, the longer the elections are delayed, the more problems will increase. The more anti-democratic forces will rise."

UK BNP President MA Malek presided over the rally. UK BNP's General Secretary Kaiser M Ahmed conducted the rally. Thousands of leaders and activists from different cities in the UK and different countries of Europe participated in the rally. Leaders from different levels of the party spoke at the rally.