POBNEWS24, Dhaka Jan 5, 2024 : As long as Awami League is in power, Dhaka will never allow its territory to be used for anti-India activities or terrorism. This is what Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said in an interview given to the POBNEWS24.
In a telephone interview to POBNEWS24, the senior minister of the Sheikh Hasina government also said that there is nothing to worry about Chinese investment in Bangladesh. Nothing compares to the enduring relationship between India and Bangladesh. This relationship is going to be stronger in the future.
Kamal said that the Awami League government will hold free and fair elections on January 7. The main opposition BNP has boycotted the election for ‘fear’ of not getting a majority.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the election after the Awami League refused to hand over power to the caretaker government to conduct the election.
The Home Minister said, “BNP and Jamaat during their tenure gave shelter to anti-India rebels in the northeastern states of India.” We eliminated them after we came to power. As long as we (Awami League) are in power, Bangladesh will exist. We will never allow anti-India activities, terrorists or divisive forces to use our soil.”
Highlighting the close relationship between the Awami League government and India, Kamal said that whenever the BNP came to power, the relationship between the two neighbors was bad and the minorities faced atrocities.
When asked whether the bilateral relations with India will suffer if the Awami League is not in power in Bangladesh, he asserted, “Of course it will.” We have seen it happen in the past.
While discussing the India-Bangla relationship, the Home Minister said, ‘India has always been a friend in Bangladesh’s danger, our relationship with them is special. We have always acknowledged the role played by Delhi during the liberation war of Bangladesh.
Referring to the ‘increasing closeness’ between Dhaka and Beijing, Kamal said India-Bangladesh relations cannot be compared with any other relations. Our foreign policy is friendship with all and enmity with none. So, we have relations with all countries. China has invested in power plants, infrastructure and engaged in aggressive marketing on the economic front. But India is different in terms of relations. It will not have any impact on India-Bangla relations.”
When asked about the attack on minority Hindus in Bangladesh, the country’s home minister said, “The government has taken strict and swift action against the miscreants.”
He also said, ‘We believe in secular ideals. We do not believe in majority or minority. Whenever any atrocity has taken place, we have taken strict action against the culprits. Hindus are about 10 percent of the population.
“Unfortunately, those incidents (crimes against Hindus) are highlighted,” he said, claiming that the proportion of crimes against Hindus was much lower than the overall crime. Talking about the general elections in Bangladesh, he said that there will be free and fair elections in the country.
He said, “All arrangements have been made so that people can vote smoothly. BNP fears that it will never get a majority in the elections. The party is losing public support day by day.
Awami League has been in power in Bangladesh since 2008.
