No Friendship with Aggressive, Extremist India:Rashed Prodhan

Mr. Rashed Prodhan, spokesperson of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa), has strongly condemned and protested the killing of two Bangladeshi youths in BSF firing at the Pirganj border in Thakurgaon. He said that although friendship with India is spoken of, killings cannot continue at the border.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Prodhan said that India speaks of friendship while carrying out killings at the border, and that India’s so called friendship and border killings cannot go together. He said that they believe Bangladesh has been deprived twenty three times over thirty years of the Ganges Treaty, and that a fair share of water from fifty four common rivers has still not been received.

He also alleged that attempts at illegal push ins are ongoing through various tactics. Mr. Prodhan further alleged that India had direct involvement behind the Pilkhana and Shapla massacres, and that the country has been interfering in Bangladesh’s internal politics and elections. He also claimed that India has given shelter to former Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina, who is implicated in the July massacre, and to the killers of Mr. Osman Hadi.

He said that for these reasons, friendship with this aggressive, extremist Hindutva India is not possible in any way. The Jagpa spokesperson said they do not want a subservient foreign policy. Calling for a counter response if fired upon at the border, he said that if India wants friendship, it must properly reciprocate that friendship, and if it wants respect, it must also respect others.

Addressing the current BNP government, Mr. Prodhan said that in relations with India, the government must hold its head high and stand firm in the country’s interest. He remarked that if the government adopts a subservient stance before India while speaking of a “Bangladesh First” policy, the people will respond on the streets.