'No democracy in Bangladesh'

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that “there is no democracy in Bangladesh”.

Khaleda said this at a meeting with the Indian PM at Hotel Sonargaon that began around 4:10pm, according to Dr Moyeen Khan, BNP Standing Committee member, who was among the six-member BNP delegation that accompanied her.

Before leaving the hotel venue, the BNP chief told reporters that her meeting with Modi was "very fruitful" and held in a "very cordial atmosphere."

Briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting, BNP standing committee member Dr Moyeen Khan said, "We have discussed the current situation of the country with the Indian prime minister. We've told him that democracy is absent in Bangladesh at present and there is no rule of law in the country as well. All institutions work as per the government's wish and thousands of opposition leaders and activists from the top to grassroots level have been facing repression and harassment."

“We also told the Indian prime minister that people of the country expect to elect their representatives through a fair election and they want to get their voting right back,” the BNP leader said.

Replying to another question, Moyeen said, “We talked to him [Modi] about the democracy of our country as he practices democracy and became the prime minister of India from the grassroots level.”

Claiming that Modi focused on regional development, Moyeen said, “We told him that democracy should be given a strong footing in the region to ensure regional development as sustainable development is not possible without it.”

Asked about Modi's response to the current situation of the country's democracy, he said, “It won't be wise to tell anything about it. It's a matter of the Indian government.”

Apart from the half-an-hour meeting in the presence of her party colleagues, the BNP chief had a one-to-one meeting with Modi that lasted around 15 minutes at the same venue, Moyeen Khan told reporters.

Wishing anonymity, a top BNP leader said during the close-door meeting the BNP chief assured Modi that the party's alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami is merely an electoral alliance and that the two parties have nothing in common as far as ideology is concerned.

The leader said Khaleda sought Modi's help for a midterm election through which a government should come to power in a democratic process. He added that she also requested Modi not to worry about Tarique Rahman's links with Jamaat, saying that she would look after the matter.

 During the meeting, Khaleda presented the Indian prime minister with a dhoti, the most traditional Indian dress for men, and a sari for his mother.

After Khaleda's meeting with Modi, Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar in a briefing said the BNP chief praised Modi's leadership and she sought his cooperation in establish democracy in this region. "She also sought the Indian premier's assistance to root out terrorism and extremism from this region.

"From our side we did made it clear that we are supportive of democracy and we are opposed to fundamentalism and terrorism," he said.

The BNP delegation included party standing committee members Tariqul Islam and Nazrul Islam Khan, and advisers Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed.

The motorcade of the BNP chief had to wait a few minutes in Karwan Bazar area as it reached the venue around 10 minutes before the meeting was scheduled.

Before the meeting with the BNP-delegation, Opposition Leader Raushon Ershad met Modi at the same venue at 3:45pm.

Emerging from the meeting, Raushan told reporters that Modi assured her of resolving the Teesta Water Sharing deal.

Asked whether Modi gave any specific timeframe for the Teesta Water Sharing deal, she said, "No. He has told us everything will be resolved gradually."

She also said there was no discussion on the current political situation as they discussed bilateral issues and trade relations between the two countries.

Jatiya Party Presidium members Kazi Firoz Rashid, Ruhul Amin Howlader and Fakhrul Imam and opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury accompanied the opposition leader during the meeting.

Earlier, Modi had held a brief meeting with members of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Workers Party, two partners in the ruling Awami League-led government.

JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu and Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon led the delegation of their respective parties.