'Sheikh Hasina would have merged Bangladesh with India if she had more time': Khaleda Zia's party leader slams ousted PM
Slamming former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a major political party leader in the country has said that the ousted Prime Minister would have "merged Bangladesh with India" had she remained in power.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Shamsuzzaman Dudu also slammed India, stating "the country has proven itself to be a fascist by giving space to a fascist." Dudu is the vice-chairman of the party founded by Khaleda Zia.
His outrageous statement came during a civic rally held to protest against the "persecution and killing of Muslims in India". The former MP added that Bangladesh drove Hasina out as there was no place for her in the country. "She not only fled to India to save her life, her real address is India," Dudu was quoted by local Bangladeshi media.
He said India can never claim to be a pro-democratic state. "India says they gave her shelter to protect Hasina. It is not protection, Sheikh Hasina's ideal is India and her address is India. That is why she has gone to India. A fascist can only live with fascists," Dudu said.
He launched a further attack against India, stating that the country had destabilised Bangladesh."Hasina made Bangladesh a slave of India in every sense by destroying the electoral system and democracy," he alleged. "Maybe if she had had a little more time, she would have also integrated Bangladesh with India."
"We consider India as a friendly country. But, India does not consider Bangladesh a friendly country. It is very difficult to say that India is a friendly country of Bangladesh based on what they are doing," he said.
The BNP leader went on a baseless rhetoric, stating he was protesting against the demonic role of India, stating that the government was attacking minorities and ethnic groups and lower-caste.
Interestingly, Dudu's remarks come as a prominent Hindu community leader was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death in Dinajpur district in north Bangladesh. According to Bangladeshi media, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, was a resident of Basudebpur village of Dinajpur, about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka.
Roy was the vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and a prominent leader of the Hindu community in the area.
India protested against Roy's killing. However, Bangladesh interim government press secretary Shafiul Alam has dismissed the reports that Roy was killed due to his religious affiliation. "It is unfortunate that the death of Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy has been described as part of a 'pattern of systematic persecution' of Hindu minorities under the interim government," he said in response to a query on the comments of India's external affairs ministry.
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