Staff Correspondent

The BNP’s chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Friday said her party would accord a flowery reception to the prime minister at the airport on her return from India if she upholds the country’s interests, otherwise there would be no option but to cast thorns on her way.

‘We will not accept any deal that endangers the country’s interests. We will appreciate you and accord you a flowery reception at the airport if you uphold the country’s interest. But if you compromise the nation’s interest we will have to cast thorns on your way,’ said Khaleda at a rally of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal on its 31st founding anniversary in Paltan Maidan.

‘We have not waged any movement in one year. But if the government allows India to construct the dam at Tipaimukh, if it gives India a corridor, if the maritime disputes are not settled, if the killings by India’s Border Security Force along our border go unchallenged, we will have no alternative but to take to the streets,’ she said.

‘The experts in Bangladesh say that Bangladesh will face dire consequence if the Tipaimukh dam is constructed, but our ministers say it will rather be good for the country. Some others say, “Let the dam be constructed, then we will see what happens.” What else can this be called but crass sycophancy? Licking the government’s feet will not protect your interests,’ she said.

Khaleda wondered whether Bangladesh was being ruled by the government or by some other force outside the country. ‘We do not know who is now running this country. What I know is the government is not ruling the country. The country is being governed by forces from somewhere else,’ she fulminated.

Khaleda said the government was concentrating on fulfilling the pledges made to its foreign masters instead of the pledges made to the people. ‘It will be futile to be a sycophant of your foreign masters and think that they will be able to protect your government. It is only the almighty Allah and the people who can protect you,’ she said.

The foreign minister and the home affairs minister are saying that they do not know anything about the deployment of security personnel by another country in front of its mission in Dhaka, she said. ‘This proves that the government is not running the country.’

Khaleda blasted the government for its activities in the last one year. ‘Its activities in the last one year have proved that the government is a complete failure. The first year of the government has been marked by killing, violence, tender manipulation and price-hike of essentials. The people of the country did not get anything from the government in one year. The government hasn’t even fulfilled a single one of its election pledges,’ she said.

‘If you want to stay in power for the full term, solve the problem of the dire shortage of gas and electricity and other amenities, and refrain from signing deals that go against the country’s interest. Let us protect democracy in a united manner,’ she added.

‘The government cannot control its own activists who have forcibly occupied educational institutions, residential halls, shops and homesteads and are killing people everyday. You [Hasina] had resigned from Chhatra League as its organisational leader when its activists created anarchy. Now what will you do? Hold them back. If you fail to control your activists, step down and thus save the people,’ she said.

Khaleda also blasted the government for indulging in a spree of clandestine killing and torturing people in remand to extract confessions. ‘They are killing people in the name of crossfire and the home minister says there is nothing called crossfire. Then it is clear that all the killings were clandestine,’ she added.

Khaleda asked the government to resolve the stalemate in Parliament and take correct and courageous decisions on the issues of Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway. ‘Despite being in the minority we had extended our cooperation. Scrap all the decisions against the nation’s benefit and uphold the national interest with courage. Then we will extend our full cooperation,’ she said.

Khaleda said that the BNP had fallen victim to an electoral conspiracy that had prevented it from coming to power as it deserved. ‘Since this government was not elected by the people, it does not feel responsible for them,’ she added.

BNP’s secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former Chhatra Dal leaders Amanullah Aman and Fazlul Huq Milan were among those who addressed the meeting, chaired by Chhatra Dal’s president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.