BNP harmed country causing enmity with India: Quader

The BNP has harmed the country by causing enmity with India when the party was in power, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said today (11 May).

"By causing enmity with India, the BNP has harmed the country. But the Awami League government is working to protect the country's interest by keeping friendly relations with India," he told a peace and development rally at Gajnabi Road in the capital's Mohammadpur this afternoon.

AL's Dhaka City North unit organised the rally.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said, "We don't want power but friendship [from India]. Enmity has harmed us. We don't want to return to that situation anymore. As India is our friend, we have been able to obtain many things from the country."

He said the people of this country are the source of strength of AL, not any foreign country.

The AL general secretary said BNP had created suspicion and disbelief in the relations between Bangladesh and India by making enmity with the country.

But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has broken the wall of disbelief, he said.

Quader said the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed during the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and land boundary dispute with India has also been resolved during her tenure.

Bangladesh won a maritime border dispute with India in court during the tenure of AL, he mentioned.

On the other hand, Khlaeda Zia "forgot" to raise the Ganges water issue before the Indian government when she visited the neigbouring country as the prime minister, he said.

Addressing the rally, AL Presidium Member Qamrul Islam said as long as fugitive convict Tarique Rahman will stay in BNP leadership, the party cannot go to parliament.

Because of [Acting Chairman of BNP] Tarique Rahman, the BNP leaders are suffering from frustration, he said, adding Tarique doesn't want the BNP to go to power.

After failing in waging movement and foiling the elections, BNP is again making evil efforts to create disorder and carry out terrorist activities in the country, Qamrul Islam said.

AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said there is no scope of government changeover without elections.

Apart from elections, there is no legal way of government changeover, he said adding the people will not want government changeover in any undemocratic way.

AL Presidium Members Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam and Afjal Hossain, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, Health Affairs Secretary Rokeya Sultana, Agriculture and Cooperative Affairs Secretary Faridunnahar Laily and Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua also addressed the rally, among others.

AL's Dhaka City North unit President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman chaired the rally which was moderated by its General Secretary SM Mannan Kochi.