Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, general secretary of Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said it is important to begin a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations which should start with the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina as her continued presence in India could further damage bilateral ties. Alamgir, the BNP’s second-in-command, asserted that his party desires strong ties with India and said it was ‘ready to put aside past differences and cooperate’.
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‘New chapter’ in India-Bangladesh relations
Alamgir said that we want to start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations and ensuring Hasina’s return to Bangladesh will be a new chapter in bilateral relations. Both Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are condemned here and we have to stand with them. The perception about India in Bangladesh is worse. He said that India should not have given shelter to the ousted prime minister. There is already anger against India, as it is seen as a supporter of the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina regime. If you ask anyone in Bangladesh, they will say that India did not do the right thing by giving shelter to Sheikh Hasina. Now, if India does not ensure Hasina’s extradition to Bangladesh, then the relations between the two countries will deteriorate further.
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Indian Foreign Ministry’s blunt statement
This came after the Ministry of External Affairs refused to give a clear answer on how long India intends to provide asylum to Hasina amid Bangladesh’s interim government’s demand for her extradition. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the former Bangladesh Prime Minister came to India at a very short notice due to security reasons. We have nothing more to add in this matter. What you asked is in the realm of hypothetical issues. It is worth noting that during the reign of BNP Khaleda Zia, relations between India and Bangladesh were strained, and many terrorist organizations operated from Bangladeshi soil. Alamgir said that if BNP comes to power it will engage more with India and try to resolve misunderstandings and past differences.
