Arafat accuses BNP of spreading propaganda over Bangladesh-India MoUs
BNP is misleading people by partially presenting some clauses of the agreement, he says
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat has accused the BNP of spreading propaganda and falsehood over the memorandums of understanding signed between Bangladesh and India recently.
"The BNP is spreading propaganda and falsehood over the MoUs without reading and understanding all of its clauses… The party is misleading people by partially presenting some clauses of the agreement," he told the media today (1 July) at his ministry.
In response to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's recent remarks on the MoUs signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent India visit, Arafat said, "BNP is spreading propaganda claiming that if Indian trains run through Bangladesh, it will create a security risk here, which is not right at all."
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Bangladesh's recent MoUs with India is not a subservient foreign policy of the government in anyway but it is beneficial for both the friendly countries, he noted.
In this connection, he said Clause-3 of the MoU clearly stated that "red traffic" like dangerous and objectionable goods, including arms, ammunition and explosives, cannot be transported in the train.
Besides, Clause-4 of the agreement also stated that the movement of goods and people between Bangladesh and India shall be subjected to the national laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the respective countries, he added.
Highlighting several diplomatic successes of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in regard to bilateral relations with India, the state minister said she [Sheikh Hasina] has been able to bring a verdict in favour of Bangladesh by settling the maritime boundary dispute with India after taking the issue to an international forum.
Referring to the BNP Chairperson and the then prime minister Khaleda Zia's remarks that she had forgotten to talk about the Ganges water sharing issue during her India visit, the state minister said it was Sheikh Hasina, who had kept India under pressure for signing the Teesta water sharing agreement.
He categorically said that if the agreement is signed, it will be done by Sheikh Hasina. "There is no evidence that the BNP had any concern about the Teesta water sharing issue when they were in power," he added.
