Why Khaleda’s change of heart on India?

Within a week of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has made a U-turn on her recent India stance after realizing that she could not cut much ice with Modi, BNP insiders said.

She has realized that her earlier statement to disclaim BNP’s anti-Indian politics and her eager and open-armed welcome to Modi had not really left any imprints on Indian mindset and rather she had lost political credibility, they said.

Before Modi came, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon had repeatedly said BNP had never done any anti-Indian politics. BNP was also very eager to meet Modi and was elated when the Indian premier agreed to it. After meeting Modi, Khaleda talked to an Indian weekly Sunday Guardian and dismissed the idea that BNP is an anti-Indian party.

“Why should I be anti-India?” she had quipped to a question.

After remaining silent for a week on the visit and the following raft of deals on connectivity, Khaleda suddenly bared her mind yesterday when she said Indian heavy vehicles would run on Bangladesh roads without paying duty and this cannot be friendship. However, she deliberately twisted the fact that Indian vehicles will be subjected to tariff according to the WTO rules.

She also fired her favourite ‘slavery’ salvo when she said ‘friendship is good, but no one wants to make any friendship sacrificing own interests. It is friendship when it ensures equality, otherwise it becomes slavery’.

Khaleda and her party had often played up the ‘slavery’ propaganda by alleging that the Awami League wants to make the country a ‘slave’ of India.   

Khaleda did not discuss with any of her top leaders before making such a defining comment.

“She did not talk to me or any of our senior leaders,” said a standing committee member of BNP. “I know of one standing committee member who was surprised in the morning after reading her statement in newspapers.  We are really baffled about her stance on India before and during Modi’s visit and now.”

Another standing committee member said Khaleda should have consulted with her senior party members before making such a policy statement especially when she had earlier claimed BNP is not an anti-Indian party.

Sabihuddin Ahmed, adviser to the BNP chief, talking to The Daily Star said, “The BNP chairperson made the statement keeping in view the country’s interest. Our politics is not against India.”

Another BNP leader said Khaleda suddenly realized that by being pally-pally with India she had lost the anti-Indian support of her voters and so quickly tried to recoup the lost ground.

Another source said she changed her mind on India as she thought her conversation with Modi was deliberately leaked to the media.