BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said that if voted to power, his party would pursue Bangladesh’s rightful share of water from India while upholding mutual respect between the two countries.
“If BNP forms the government, we will engage with India on issues related to the Teesta, Padma and other shared rivers and try to realise our rightful share of water,” he told reporters in Thakurgaon town responding to a question on how BNP would shape relations with India.
When asked about India’s current unfriendly attitude, Fakhrul said proper diplomatic engagement could help ease tensions.
He also criticised the government over what he described as its failure to recover illegal weapons, saying the law and order situation has not improved significantly so far.
“I do not think the law and order situation has improved much yet. However, I am hopeful that it will improve during the election period and reach a better state,” he said.
Referring to recent developments involving cricket, he said the issue carried political implications and was linked to the dignity of the country.
“Undoubtedly, one of our cricketers has been insulted. We believe our country has been insulted. In that case, we agree with the decision taken by the cricket control board. At the same time, we believe minor issues should be resolved through dialogue,” he said.
Asked whether major political parties were trying to woo Awami League voters, Fakhrul said BNP remained a self-sufficient political party with a strong record.
“All the major achievements of this country were made under BNP from restoring multi-party democracy to shifting from a presidential to a parliamentary system, ensuring press freedom and judicial independence. BNP has ensured these through its 31-point reform agenda,” he said.
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On the election situation, he said the real situation will be clear once election campaigns begin. “Before that, it is difficult to understand the actual scenario,” he added.
Asked whether fascism could return, he said “We are not afraid of fascists. We know how to resist them. We know how to fight and how to endure repression. We are not afraid of that.”
BNP district secretary Paygam Ali and other party leaders were present.