Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, BNP leaders are in question for their suicidal decision of not participating in the last general election.
“Actually, BNP has no politics now. Their workers are now very frustrated. Now BNP leaders are trying to prove that they are still alive by making various statements to alleviate that frustration,” he added.
The Foreign Minister said actually two or three leaders of BNP speak on television and BNP has no position anywhere else.
“The BNP leaders are trying to mislead people by saying all these. Many people die naturally in prison. Many of our party leaders also died earlier in prison. There is no scope for spreading confusion by saying all these”, he added.
The foreign minister said these in response to a question from journalists that BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed, the death of BNP leaders in jail is planned, before inaugurating the ceremony of the multi-cultural festival at city’s Faujdarhat DC Park on Saturday evening, organized by district administration.
BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s statement that the government is unable to deal with the impact of Myanmar’s internal conflict on Bangladesh due to its relax foreign policy, Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, we do not have the ability to control the situation inside Myanmar.
“What is happening is internal turmoil in Myanmar. There is a conflict between the Arakan forces and the Myanmar government forces. Sometimes one or two bullets have come to our country because of that conflict. And two people died, that’s right. Recently the ambassador of Myanmar was summoned and strong protest was lodged,” he added.
Dr Hasan said several family members along with the border forces and army have fled to this country from Myanmar.
“Myanmar has already agreed to take them back. We are continuing to interact with them. Our ambassador had a meeting with the foreign minister of Myanmar. It is a matter of finalizing the process by which they will be taken back, there is no foreign policy issue here. Not only Myanmar’s border forces and army personnel have infiltrated our country, hundreds of people have drowned in India as well. They have also taken them back,” the Foreign Minister said.
He said, “You know, I have already visited different countries including India.”
“I have discussed with the Foreign Minister of India, met the Myanmar Foreign Minister at the NAM Summit, where I told him to start the repatriation at least. I felt from his speech that Myanmar is agreed to start repatriation. But due to their current internal crises, they are unable to do so at the moment,” he said.
Dr Hasan said, the only solution is to return all the displaced people of Myanmar to their country with dignity and civic rights.
Hasan Mahmud said that the government led by Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina has taken many projects for the development of Chattogram in the last 15 years.
“The first tunnel under the river in Indian subcontinent was made under the Karnaphuli river in Chattogram. Bay-Terminal is going to be built here. If it is built, it will be another Chattogram port. Now the total length of Chattogram port is six km. And the bay-terminal will be 10 km. The draft of the bay-terminal will be 12 meters. It will start working immediately. The first phase construction of Bay terminal will be completed within the next three years. The economic activity that will increase here is unimaginable,” he added.
The foreign Minister said he returned from India yesterday and discussed this with the Foreign Minister and Commerce Minister of India
Dr Hasan said Chattogram port link road will be made four-lane from Faujdarhat, because the traffic is increasing here day by day.
“Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar will be connected with this road. When the tunnel is in full use, there will be much more traffic. More will increase when the Bay-Terminal will be built,” he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Abul Bashar Md. Fakhruzzaman presided over the opening ceremony of the Multi Cultural Festival while Philippines Ambassador Leo Titol Ausan Jr., FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam and Indian Assistant High Commissioner Dr. Rajeev Ranjan, among others, addressed the function.
Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer KM Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome speech.
