The BNP on Monday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Bangladesh, describing it as a threat to the country's independence and sovereignty.
Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, currently in the UK, made the demand during a phone conversation with UNB.
“What the West Bengal Chief Minister said about sending peacekeepers to Bangladesh is completely a threat to the independence and sovereignty of our country,” he said.
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The BNP leader said the attitudes of the Indian leaders have been exposed to some extent through this statement.
“I think West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should immediately withdraw her statement. She should not have any such thoughts as the people of Bangladesh gained independence through the Liberation War and recently they got back democracy through a revolution,” he said.
Fakhrul termed Mamata’s remarks a plot against Bangladesh and said the people will prevent any conspiracy at any cost.
Indian media on Monday reported that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged the central government to seek the deployment of a peacekeeping mission by the Union Nations in Bangladesh to tackle the ongoing situation there.
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"We have families... properties... and loved ones in Bangladesh. We accept whatever stance the Government of India takes on this...but we condemn atrocities on religious grounds anywhere in the world and appeal to the union government, and the Prime Minister, to intervene," NDTV quoted Mamata as saying.
Fakhrul alleged that false stories being spread and published in the Indian media about the deterioration or endangerment of communal harmony in Bangladesh is unacceptable in any way.
“The Indian journalists came to Bangladesh and they also saw the ground reality. Many renowned journalists from West Bengal also visited our country and they did not find such a situation,” he said.
The BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh will never accept the way the Indian media and their leaders are spreading a complete lie and threatening the independence and sovereignty of its neighbouring country.
He also said it is very unfortunate what the Indian media and politicians are saying about Bangladesh.
The BNP leader mentioned that a fresh conspiracy has recently started in Bangladesh involving ISKCON. “It is very clear that the recent role of ISKCON is suspicious, mysterious, and a threat to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh, as well as to its stability.”
Meanwhile, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi strongly protested the West Bengal Chief Minister’s comments, saying she has undermined Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence.
"It is a direct threat and interference in an independent country. The people of Bangladesh are shocked and surprised by the statement made by the West Bengal Chief Minister," Rizvi said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.
He also questioned Mamata’s intention behind her comments regarding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Bangladesh.
The BNP leader urged all, including members of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian communities, to remain vigilant against the plots by India.