‘Is US meddling in Bangladesh for democracy or Saint Martin's Island?’: Inu

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu expressed his concerns, questioning whether the US is meddling in Bangladesh's affairs for the sake of democracy or for control of Saint Martin's Island.

"It's time for us to think about the reason for America's over-enthusiasm. Is it Democracy or Saint Martin's Island?" he said while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the financial year 2023-2024 in Parliament on Monday (19 June). 

He said, "The United States has suddenly become very enthusiastic about Bangladesh. They actually want to make Bangladesh a playground to 'dominate' India."

He mentioned that if the United States does not get New Delhi fully as a 'close ally', then it will try to oust government of India's friendly country Bangladesh.

He said that it means the US wants to remove Sheikh Hasina's government and put a puppet one in power.

Inu said that bargaining is on basically between the United States and India.

"They are using the term democracy. But no one can name a country in the world where America has established democracy," he said.

Rather, he said, when America becomes enthusiastic about the democracy of a country, it brings more sufferings to the people than the government or the opposition party of that particular country.

"It's time for us to think about the reason for America's over-enthusiasm. Is it Democracy or the Saint Martin's Island?"

Inu said that it will not be allowed that someone from 20,000 miles away will come and make the country a playground.

"Election will be held in the right time according to the constitution in Independent, sovereign country Bangladesh," he said.

Inu claimed that as the BNP and Jamaat are not able to stand on their own feet, they are inviting a calamity by one's own imprudence by going to different quarters of foreign countries.

Talking about the due bills of coals that led the country for a huge load management recently, Inu questioned how such a huge amount of money remained unpaid.

Inu said that the daily commodity market must be controlled at any cost.

"Inflation must be controlled. The purchasing power of common people must be maintained. Power supply should be uninterrupted."

Pointing out that the government set up the quick rental on an emergency basis, Inu said that when other power plants started coming up, why Tk90,000 crore needed to be paid as capacity charge in 10 years keeping them idle.

"In the last 9 months, capacity charges of Tk17,000 crore had been given to some major companies in the country for the quick rental concept."

Inu said that the elections will be held at the end of December 2023.

"Some foreign quarters are making a fuss about the election. And looking at the attitude of BNP-Jamaat and their allies, it seems that they want to decide the question of power before the elections."

He urged BNP to come to elections and said that there will be no more ghost government or military government like the 1/11 in the country.