Staff Reporter :
The BNP on Monday expressed appreciation for Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for halting India’s construction of fencing in several zero-line areas along the Bangladesh-India border.
Speaking at a milad and doa mahfil at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the remarks.
Rizvi accused the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of being “sold” to India, alleging that she prioritised India’s interests over those of Bangladesh.
The Jatiyatabdi Rickshaw, Van, and Auto Chalak Dal organized the program to pray for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s swift recovery as she continues treatment in London.
Expressing gratitude to the Home Affairs Adviser of the interim government, Rizvi acknowledged the joint resistance by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the public against India’s attempts to construct barbed-wire fences along the border without prior consultation.
He further alleged that Sheikh Hasina and her allies underestimated the resilience of the Bangladeshi people, assuming they could be easily subdued.
Rizvi criticised Indian policymakers for disregarding the deep patriotism of the Bangladeshi people. He claimed that India believed its interests would be safeguarded as long as Sheikh Hasina remained in power, but underestimated the potential for widespread resistance in areas like Jatrabari, Uttara, and Gabtoli.
Rizvi highlighted that India erected barbed-wire fences at around 160 border locations between 2010 and 2023 without Bangladesh’s consent, thereby weakening the country’s sovereignty under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.
He noted that while India has already fenced over 3,000 kilometers of the 4,156-kilometer Bangladesh-India border, approximately 885 kilometers remain unfenced.
He emphasised that international agreements mandate discussions between the two nations for any development within 150 yards of the border’s zero line.
However, he accused India of disregarding these agreements by attempting to construct fences in areas like Lalmonirhat without consultation.
Praising the collective efforts of the Bangladeshi people and BGB members in resisting these violations, Rizvi noted that such resistance was absent during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
Rizvi accused Sheikh Hasina of acting as a “servant” to Indian interests and using fascist tactics to advance their agenda.
