Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman mentioned his social gathering seeks harmonious and secure ties with India however asserted that New Delhi must rethink its international coverage within the neighbourhood as bilateral relations don’t entail interfering in one another’s inside affairs.
Mr Rahman, who’s the president of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, mentioned his social gathering helps shut relations between India and Bangladesh but additionally believes Bangladesh ought to keep robust and balanced relations with international locations just like the US, China and “Pakistan, abandoning the burden of the previous”.
Mr Rahman, 65, mentioned New Delhi’s notion of Jamaat-e-Islami as an anti-India organisation is fallacious, saying, “Jamaat-e-Islami is just not towards any nation; it’s a fallacious notion. We’re pro-Bangladesh and are solely involved in safeguarding the pursuits of Bangladesh,” stressing that this notion wants to alter.
Jamaat-e-Islami steered that it could have been higher if former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after resigning over the unrest, had not fled to India and advocated that she return to Bangladesh to face the regulation.
“India is our neighbour and we wish a great, secure and harmonious bilateral relationship. Nonetheless, India has accomplished some issues previously which haven’t gone down effectively with the individuals of Bangladesh,” he mentioned.
Learn additionally: Bangladesh interim authorities to prioritise India relationship, say Dhaka coverage specialists
“For instance, in the course of the 2014 elections in Bangladesh, a senior Indian diplomat visited Dhaka and decided who ought to take part and who shouldn’t. This was unacceptable as it’s not the function of a neighbouring nation. We imagine that India will finally re-evaluate its international coverage in the direction of Bangladesh. We imagine that interference within the inside affairs of others must be prevented,” he added.
Mr Rahman mentioned Jamaat-e-Islami needs India to be a “pal and play a accountable function in bilateral relations”, whereas stressing that his social gathering recognises its accountability to enhance relations however insists that these ties should stay “with out interfering in one another’s inside affairs”.
“Working collectively and interfering are two various things. Working collectively has a optimistic connotation, whereas interfering is unfavourable. Bilateral ties ought to imply cooperation and mutual respect. India is our closest neighbour; we share land and maritime borders, so we must always have good ties as one can’t be removed from a neighbour,” he mentioned in Dhaka.
Mr Rahman acknowledged that whereas Jamaat-e-Islami had had interactions with the Indian institution previously, these contacts diminished in the course of the Awami League rule over the previous 16 years, however he believes that “efficient relations with India can now be restored”.
Responding to a query on allegations of assaults on Hindus in Bangladesh by Jamaat activists, Mr Rahman refuted the allegations as “baseless”.
Mr Rahman attributed Jamaat-e-Islami’s unfavourable picture to a malicious media marketing campaign and famous that regardless of being the group that has suffered probably the most from the atrocities dedicated by the Sheikh Hasina authorities previously 15 years, “we’re nonetheless on the bottom and Jamaat nonetheless enjoys the help of the individuals.”
On relations with Pakistan, Mr Rahman mentioned: “We need to keep good ties with them as effectively. We search an equal and balanced relationship with all our neighbours within the subcontinent, together with India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. This steadiness is essential to sustaining stability.”
Bangladesh, previously referred to as East Pakistan, was born out of Pakistan after the Liberation Warfare in 1971.
On diplomatic relations with different world powers, Mr Rahman mentioned: “We search balanced and secure ties with world powers just like the US and China as on this globalised world we’re interconnected in varied methods.”
Relating to the current flood scenario in Bangladesh, Mr Rahman mentioned India ought to have offered prior data to Bangladesh earlier than releasing water.
Learn additionally: Tripura dam didn’t trigger Bangladesh floods, says India
“We’re not saying that India is responsible for the heavy rains, however India ought to have knowledgeable us earlier than releasing water in order that we might higher handle the scenario and save lives. We imagine that this dam shouldn’t be there and the water must be allowed to take its pure course,” he mentioned.
His feedback come amid studies from Dhaka blaming India for the floods in Bangladesh.
Flooding attributable to monsoon rains within the Bangladesh River Delta and higher Indian areas has brought about a number of deaths and affected almost three million individuals in Bangladesh, posing a significant problem to the newly put in interim authorities within the midst of a political transition.
India just lately described factually incorrect studies in Bangladesh suggesting that the present flooding scenario in sure areas had been attributable to the opening of a dam on the Gumti River in Tripura.
India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs has mentioned that flooding in rivers shared between the 2 international locations is a “shared” drawback affecting individuals on either side and requires shut mutual cooperation to resolve.
Bangladesh’s interim authorities has revoked the diplomatic passports of ousted Prime Minister Hasina and all members of her former cupboard.
Mr Rahman mentioned the Jamaat will take part within the elections in Bangladesh when they’re held.
“We imagine that the interim authorities must be given time, nevertheless it shouldn’t be indefinite. We’ll make clear our place on the date of recent elections in due time. However when elections are held, we are going to take part,” he mentioned.
