Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said his party would place the highest importance on resolving longstanding water-sharing disputes and countering what he termed India’s “hegemonic attitude” toward Bangladesh.
Speaking to reporters after visiting a rubber dam on the Mahananda River in Chapainawabganj, Fakhrul said that if the BNP returns to power, settling the Teesta and Farakka water issues, ensuring Bangladesh’s legitimate share of cross-border rivers, and ending border killings will be among its foremost commitments.
He emphasised that securing fair water rights and stopping border deaths have always been central to the BNP’s political agenda.
Fakhrul noted that India, as Bangladesh’s closest neighbour, has every opportunity to build a cooperative and mutually respectful relationship.
“India supported us during the 1971 Liberation War. They should be even more supportive today. Unfortunately, we have seen the opposite.
The Modi government has exerted pressure on Bangladesh, taken advantage of us, and offered nothing in return-this was the failure of the Awami League government,” he said.
He stressed that bilateral ties must be based on mutual respect, saying, “Our national interests must come first.”
