Staff Reporter:
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has blamed BNP for harming the country’s overall interest by creating hostile relations with neighboring India.
“We don’t want to have hostility with India. We want friendly, balanced and respectful mutual diplomacy,” Quader told reporters after a joint meeting held at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Gulisthan area of Dhaka.
The joint meeting was held to organise the party’s 75th founding anniversary to be celebrated in a befitting manner on June 23. He also announced a 10-point programme to celebrate the founding anniversary of the party.
Responding to a query, Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said, “We aim to establish a comprehensive partnership with India to ensure our national interests. We will never maintain relations with any country that disregards these interests.”
An unfriendly relationship was prevailing between Bangladesh and India during the tenures of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, its incumbent Chairperson Khaleda Zia and late president HM Ershad, he said.
They created a wall of suspicion and mistrust and of them, Khaleda Zia did the most damage to Bangladesh by creating a hostile relationship with India, he said.
About the torrential flood in Sylhet, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is herself overseeing the flood situation and she asked her party’s leaders and activists to stand beside the flood-affected people with relief materials.