Bangladesh News

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said the previous BNP-Jamaat coalition government, with the help of Pakistan, allowed Bangladesh territory to be used for subversive activities against India.

Ashraf, also spokesperson of the government and ruling Awami League general secretary made the statement while addressing a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

AL organised the programme marking the Homecoming Day of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The LGRD minister said India was the destination of 10 truckloads of illegal arms seized in Chittagong and a huge quantity of bullets in Bogra during the BNP-Jamaat government.

Bangladesh has not been on good terms with India since 2001 due to these reasons, he said. Terming prime minister’s India tour very important, Ashraf said it is not important what the government would achieve through the premier’s tour.

“The important thing is the premier is going to India to establish a friendly and trustworthy relation with India,” said the Awami League leader adding that Bangladesh should not be kept away from the rest of the world in the name of security and sovereignty.

Earlier in the morning, Ashraf said they had clear evidence of a meeting between former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf and India’s separatist Ulfa leader Anup Chetia in Dhaka during the BNP-led alliance rule.

“I am aware that no comment should be made about a former president without any evidence,” he told newsmen after placing wreaths at the Sheikh Mujib’s portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the morning.

On Friday, Syed Ashraf alleged that the previous BNP-led coalition government had arranged a meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Anup Chetia in Dhaka.

“Pervez Musharraf had a one-and-a-half-hour meeting with detained Ulfa leader Anup Chetia when BNP-led alliance was in power,” he told a roundtable at the Jatiya Press Club.

Hours after Ashraf’s speech, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain asked his ruling party counterpart to substantiate the claim regarding the meeting.

Paying tributes to late president Ziaur Rahman at his grave, Delwar termed Ashraf’s remark “irresponsible” and called upon him to produce evidence before the nation to prove that such a meeting took place.

He also said the government is whipping such propaganda for political gains.