Prime Minister Was Not Invited to BRICS Summit with Due Respect: Speaker

Bangladesh wants friendly relations with all countries of the world, including India, based on dignity and mutual interests, said National Parliament Speaker and Bhola-3 lawmaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.

He said India is a neighbouring country of Bangladesh, and it is necessary to maintain good relations with it. However, the kind of friendly relations Bangladesh wants with India is not always reflected. At present, communication between the two countries is mainly taking place at the diplomatic level. He expressed hope that relations between the two countries would be further strengthened in the future on the basis of dignity and mutual respect.

The speaker made the remarks while answering questions from journalists on Monday morning after an exchange of views with the deputy commissioner, police superintendent and other government officials at the Bhola Circuit House.

Referring to India, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said there had not been much encouragement from India regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the BRICS summit. He also commented that India had not invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with due respect. At the same time, he said India had given the ousted prime minister of the former government refuge in the country and allowed her to conduct political activities from there, which was undesirable.

Speaking about the current situation in the country, the speaker said the authoritarian government had fallen through an uprising. After that, an interim government remained in charge for nearly two years. In February this year, the people gave the BNP the responsibility of forming the government through a fair election. The new government is only seven months old. It will take time to overcome the damage caused to various sectors of the country during 17 years of rule.

He alleged that incidents of killings, enforced disappearances, corruption and money laundering took place during the Awami League government. As a result, crises emerged at various levels of the country. It will take time for the country to recover from this situation. However, he claimed that the new government had already begun development activities.

Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said the country could overcome long-standing deprivation if the ruling and opposition parties played responsible roles with restraint. He expressed hope that the desired results would be achieved once the implementation of the July Charter and the constitutional reform process were completed.

Regarding the current situation, he said the people of the country had now regained freedom of speech. It was difficult to speak the truth during the previous government’s tenure. He also alleged that many people had been killed in crossfire for speaking the truth, while others had been subjected to enforced disappearance. The speaker also referred to former BNP lawmakers Elias Ali and Parvez.

Bhola Deputy Commissioner Dr Shamin Rahman, Police Superintendent Shahidullah Kawsar, Bhola District BNP Convener Golam Nabi Alamgir, Member Secretary Raisul Alam, government officials and political leaders were present at the exchange of views meeting.

Meanwhile, the organisation ‘Amra Bholabashi’ submitted a memorandum to National Parliament Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram demanding the speedy implementation of the long-standing demand for the Bhola-Barishal Bridge.

The memorandum called for necessary steps to expedite the construction of the Bhola-Barishal Bridge. Representatives of the organisation said the speaker received the memorandum with great sincerity and assured them that he would speak to the prime minister about the bridge.

Leaders of ‘Amra Bholabashi’ expressed hope that the speaker’s initiative would further advance the process of implementing the Bhola-Barishal Bridge. According to them, the bridge would not only improve connectivity between Bhola and Barishal but also play an important role in the economy, trade and commerce, education, healthcare and overall development of 22 districts in the southern region.