Govt unable to resolve issues with India: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the government has not been able to solve the longstanding problems that Bangladesh has with India, such as the water sharing disputes and border killings.

Commenting on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to India, he said, "They [government] could not solve these bilateral issues because they are weak and do not have the people's support."

After paying respects at the grave of the party's Founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital on Tuesday afternoon, the BNP leader told reporters, "Every time, she (Sheikh Hasina) visited India, we have been given a lot of hope that the Teesta water sharing agreement and other agreements will be signed. But nothing has happened so far."

"If people had supported this government then these issues would have been solved already. Let us see what she brings back for the people of Bangladesh – that will be the success of this visit," he said.

When asked about the matter of an Indian state minister welcoming the Bangladeshi prime minister at the airport, Fakhrul said, "I don't want to talk about it. Because it is clear from the previous remarks made by several ministers of this government that no matter how India welcomes them, they (Awami League leadership) will go there anyway. They do not have a problem with that."

On the Myanmar issue, Fakhrul said, "In the last 15 years, we have seen that since this government did not come to power with the mandate of the people, it is very difficult for them to make agreements with foreign countries to protect the interests of Bangladesh.

We have observed similar scenarios in the case of Myanmar. So far this government has not been able to make any breakthrough with Myanmar."

"Myanmar is repeatedly violating the sovereignty of Bangladesh. They are hitting us with mortar shells. But because of the bowed down foreign policy, the government cannot afford to do anything but issue a statement," he said.

Regarding the current Election Commission, Fakhrul said, "I don't want to say anything about this Commission. We do not even accept it as an election commission. We have repeatedly said that elections cannot be held under this commission."

Mentioning that a non-partisan caretaker government is needed to hold elections, he said, "If there is no non-partisan government during the election period, then the fate of this commission will be the same as all the other election commissions that had worked in the past. They will never be able to hold free and fair elections."

"Our [BNP] only goal is to remove this fascist illegal government and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government, dissolve parliament and organise a free and fair election by forming a new election commission," the BNP leader added.