BNP lawmaker and party’s Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Tuesday said Bangladesh’s relations with India will remain unchanged regardless of which party assumes power there.
He made the remarks after paying tributes to Shaheed President and party founder Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at the Zia Udyan in the capital.
Gayeshwar was accompanying BNP central executive committee member Nipun Roy Chowdhury, who was elected MP from women’s reserved seat.
“Which party comes to power in India is not our concern. We believe in independence and sovereignty. So, relations will remain the same whoever is in power there,” the BNP leader said.
Congratulating the Indian people for electing their preferred leaders in assembly elections, he said BNP respects the democratic choice of the people of India.
Gayeshwar, MP from Dhaka-3, also stressed that BNP does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and prioritises Bangladesh’s national interests.
Referring to the current challenging situation, he said the government has taken responsibility amid multiple challenges and expressed optimism that these will be overcome to restore stability in the country.
Highlighting the challenges ahead, the BNP leader said the country is facing a fragile economy, a weakened banking sector and massive capital flight. “However, we are prepared to face them,” he added.
Recalling the legacy of Ziaur Rahman, he described him as the proclaimer of independence and a proponent of multiparty democracy who founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Gayeshwar said after Zia’s demise, Khaleda Zia led the party through long political struggles, ultimately contributing to the restoration of democracy.
He said they offered prayers seeking eternal peace for the souls of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, and also prayed for the good health and success of Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in fulfilling public expectations.
Explaining the purpose of the visit, the BNP leader said 36 BNP alliance women MPs, including Nipun Roy, have recently been elected and so they came to pay respect to the party founder and the former Prime Minister.
He said the party expects the newly elected women MPs to play an important role in ensuring women’s empowerment and rights.
“Not only for women, but they will also contribute to meeting public expectations in the broader political context and democratic transition,” Gayeshwar added.
He said BNP is committed to promoting women’s leadership and aims to ensure more women are directly elected to Parliament in the future.