Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said his party wants the inter-im government to be successful.
“We want the interim government to be successful. We also expect that the current government will properly fulfill the main responsibility bestowed upon it and will be able to hold a fair, free election,” he said.
Tarique Rahman told BBC Bangla that aired its final segment of his two-part interview yesterday.
He said, “What we have said from the beginning is that we want this interim government to be success-ful. That is, there are many issues among all – like if we say the two main issues, there is the issue of some reforms, and at the same time, there is the issue of the expected fair, impartial and free elections”.
The BNP acting chairman said the main goal of the interim government is to hold a fair, free election with completing some reforms, including those that are necessary.
Tarique Rahman said BNP hopes that the interim government will perform its tasks beautifully.
Regarding the date of next general polls, he said the chief of interim government announced a roadmap of election and later took a firm stance on his decision several times.
About BNP’s priorities, he said his party always priorities Bangladesh’s interest above of all.
“BNP’s basic principle is one – Bangladesh first ahead of all. In terms of diplomacy, BNP’s policy is Bangladesh first. My people, my country, my sovereignty,” the BNP acting chairman said.
Replying to a question, he said he is a Bangladeshi, so the interests of Bangladesh and its people are im-portant to him.
“So who said what… first of all, Bangladesh, simple, there is nothing to complication, it is a simple mat-ter,” he said.
About relations with India, the BNP acting chairman said, “First of all, Bangladesh. Here you have men-tioned a particular country. That country or another country is not the issue here. The issue is… Bangla-desh is my interest, I will first look after the interests of the people of my country, and I will look after the interests of my country. I will uphold that and do whatever I can.”
Tarique Rahman said he, of course, wants fair share of water of trans-boundary rivers and did not want to see another Felani hanging around, saying “Of course, we won’t accept this”.
Citing the two examples on what would be stance of BNP, he said they want the Bangladesh’s share of water.
“That means, I want my share of the country, I want my share of the people. I want what is fair. Of course, I wanted to make it clear that through the Felani killing, my people are hit, and if my people are hit, I will definitely not accept this,” he said.
Responding to another query, the BNP leader said, “If India becomes abhorrence to the Bangladesh’s people by giving shelter to a tyranny there, they have nothing to do. The people of Bangladesh have de-cided that they will remain cold with it. So, I have to be with the people of my country,” he added.
