Don't want to become another Gaza, govt should’ve consulted political parties regarding Rakhine aid corridor: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the government should have consulted with all political parties before agreeing in principle to the United Nations' proposal to establish a humanitarian corridor through Bangladesh to send aid to Rakhine.

"We do not want to become another Gaza…We do not want to get involved in another war. We do not want anyone to come here and create more trouble for us. We are already in a serious problem with the Rohingyas. So, we [BNP] think there should have been a discussion in this regard before deciding on the passage," he said at an event in Thakurgaon on Monday (28 April).

He also said the independence and sovereignty of the country and the future peace and stability of the region are connected to this decision.

Fakhrul's remarks come after Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain yesterday said the government agreed in principle, subject to conditions, to the United Nations' proposal to establish a humanitarian corridor through Bangladesh to send aid to Rakhine.

"According to the United Nations' proposal, Bangladesh has agreed in principle to allow a humanitarian corridor to Rakhine. It will be a humanitarian passage. However, we have certain conditions. I will not go into details. If the conditions are met, we will certainly provide assistance."

Mirza Fakhrul went on to say since Rakhine cannot be accessed directly, it will now be possible through Bangladesh's Chattogram region. "They [government] are now giving a humanitarian passage for communication there."

"Let me clarify the matter a bit. Isn't there a war going on in Gaza? Israel is continuously bombing Gaza, right? No one can go there. To send food, medicine, etc., from the United Nations, they are building routes from Jordan or Egypt to send aid to Gaza. That's fine; it's needed for humanitarian reasons. But my concern is—why has Bangladesh reached a point where it is now offering a humanitarian corridor? This is a very big decision. This decision involves our independence, sovereignty, and the future peace and stability of the region."

Fakhrul stated that the government should have consulted all political parties about this matter. 

"Without any discussion, they [the government] have unilaterally decided to allow a humanitarian corridor. We have no objection to helping people. We have no objection to the initiative taken by the United Nations. But it must be done with the support of all people."

Regarding the issue of whether reform or election should come first, said, "In the previous system of governance, the government had the opportunity to engage in corruption. The prime minister's power became like that of a king. These areas need to be changed. That's why we have proposed 31 points of reform." 

The senior BNP leader further said, "We want reform. But we also want elections to be arranged simultaneously. We hope the government will show some good sense."

"They said they are trying to hold the election between December and June. We say—don't give vague statements, give a clear timeline for the election. Give a roadmap," he added.