Mamata’s UN peacekeeper remark threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty: Fakhrul
Fakhrul dismissed allegations of communal disharmony in Bangladesh as “baseless”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remark regarding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Bangladeshis a "direct threat" to the country's independence and sovereignty, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.
Mamata Banerjee must retract this statement immediately," he said while speaking to the media via mobile phone from London today (2 December).
"Her remark about sending peacekeepers to Bangladesh is an outright threat to the sovereignty of our country," he said. "The attitudes of the Indian leaders have been exposed through the statement."
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The people of Bangladesh will not tolerate any such conspiracy at any cost, said the BNP leader.
Indian media today reported that Mamata Banerjee urged the central government to seek the deployment of a peacekeeping mission by the Union Nations in Bangladesh to tackle the ongoing situation there.
"We have families... properties... and loved ones in Bangladesh. We accept whatever stance the Government of India takes on this...but we condemn atrocities on religious grounds anywhere in the world and appeal to the union government, and the Prime Minister, to intervene," NDTV quoted Mamata as saying.
Fakhrul further criticised Indian media for spreading what he called "baseless stories" about the erosion of communal harmony in Bangladesh.
"The fabricated tales of communal tension being spread by Indian media and their leaders are completely unacceptable. We have repeatedly said journalists from India, including renowned ones from West Bengal, have visited Bangladesh and seen for themselves that such a situation does not exist here," Fakhrul said.
"Yet, the Indian media and their leaders continue to propagate lies, threatening the sovereignty of Bangladesh, and this will not be accepted by the people of Bangladesh," he said.
Fakhrul also referred to the recent developments involving Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), describing them as a part of a "new conspiracy" in Bangladesh.
"The unfortunate and harmful statements made about Bangladesh recently, especially regarding Iskcon, are part of a dangerous plot that the people of Bangladesh will never accept," he said.
The BNP leader also said the recent role of Iskcon in Bangladesh is "highly suspicious and mysterious", posing a threat to the "independence, sovereignty, and stability of Bangladesh".
