Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Hasina’s stay in India no barrier to Bangladesh ties, says Fakhrul and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
As Bangladesh stands on the brink of a political transition, senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has sought to decouple bilateral diplomacy from domestic reckoning, saying India-Bangladesh relations will not be “held hostage” by the presence of Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi.
He made the remarks in an interview with The Hindu published, a day before the BNP is set to form the government after securing an absolute majority in the national election.
The Indian English daily said BNP’s secretary general gave the interview in Dhaka at the party headquarters in Gulshan.
Fakhrul said Dhaka would pursue the legal process against the deposed prime minister over alleged human rights violations during the July Uprising and reiterated the demand for her extradition, but added that the issue should not hinder trade and development cooperation.
“We believe India should hand her over to us. But not doing so will not be a deterrent to building broader relations, including trade and commercial ties,” he was quoted as saying.
Fakhrul said projects that serve Bangladesh’s interests would be expedited and development partnerships with India strengthened.
He acknowledged “difficult issues” in bilateral ties — including the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, border killings and water sharing — but stressed the need for dialogue.
“We can’t fight a war with India. We need to talk,” he said.
“We believe that Hasina has really committed serious human rights violations. There is a popular demand to punish her and we believe that India should hand her over to us. But not handing over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh will not be a deterrent to building broader relations, including trade and commercial ties. We want to build even better ties,” Mirza Fakhrul was quoted as saying by the Hindu.