PM Modi invite on cards as BNP rolls out ‘friends to all’ line
DHAKA: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan on Saturday expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited to the upcoming government swearing-in ceremony, while underscoring the party’s inclusive foreign policy vision “friends to all, malice to none.”
Talking to media persons here, Milan remarked on the question of inviting South Asian leaders to the event, “I don’t know exactly what they’re doing, but hopefully they’ll invite everyone. I don’t know exactly, but he (PM Modi) should be invited. It’s general courtesy. The organisers will do it. I hope the whole world will be with us.” Highlighting the party’s broader stance on international relations, he added, “Friends to all, malice to none.”
Meanwhile, BNP chairman Tarique Rahman prioritised law and order in Bangladesh “at any cost,” saying the 13th general election opened a new chapter for building a safe and humane Bangladesh.
The BNP leader, who is set to become the prime minister replacing the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, also spoke about revival of SAARC and how his government’s foreign policy will be guided by “the greater interests of Bangladesh and its people.”
Rahman’s BNP on Friday secured a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary elections held on Thursday.
“Our paths and opinions may differ but in the interest of the country, we must remain united. I firmly believe that national unity is our collective strength while division is our weakness,” Rahman told a press conference here.
Rahman, 60, said, “From today, we are all free, with the true essence of freedom and rights restored,” but added that peace and law and order must be maintained at any cost. “We will not tolerate any kind of chaos.”
He said the party will follow a foreign policy that protects the country’s interests in its dealings with China, India, and Pakistan, newspaper Dhaka Tribune said.
Bangladesh’s foreign policy will be guided by “the greater interests of Bangladesh and its people,” Rahman said.
About Bangladesh’s future relations with China and the Belt and Road Initiative, he said: “If something is not in Bangladesh’s interest, naturally we cannot pursue it. I am certain that mutual interests will be our first priority.”
Dhaka Tribune further said that Rahman also spoke about revival of SAARC – the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – saying, “SAARC was established through Bangladesh’s initiative. We want it to function. We will discuss with our friendly states and try to revive SAARC.”
The elections brought BNP to power with two thirds of majority after the party virtually went through nearly two decades of political wilderness.
BNP’s former ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami, known to be close to Islamabad and which opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, emerged as the main opposition in a changed political landscape. Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was debarred by the outgoing interim government to take part in the polls.
The BNP and the Awami League had alternated state power and served as the main opposition in parliament for decades amid bitter rivalry.
Rahman said the country is now set to begin its journey in a situation marked by a fragile economy left behind by an “authoritarian regime, a weakened constitution and institutions, and a destroyed law and order system.”
“With your spontaneous participation, after more than one and a half decades, a parliament and a government accountable to the people through direct voting are re-established in the country,” he said.
“We must remain united and uphold the will of the people to ensure that no evil force can re-establish autocracy in the country and to ensure that the nation is not turned into a subservient state,” he asserted.
“We need everyone’s cooperation to build a safe and humane Bangladesh. This time, everyone must play a responsible role in rebuilding the country.”
“No injustice can be done to anyone on any excuse. Law and order must be maintained at any cost,” Rahman added.
The BNP leader said the freedom-loving people of the country had made BNP victorious, describing the outcome as “the victory of the people.” “From today, everyone is free. Congratulations to all. With the participation of all, the journey of a fascism-free state has begun in the country,” the BNP chairman said.
“In a democratic state and political system, political parties are the true beacon of democracy,” he said without reflecting upon his stance on lifting the ban on Awami League. Some 50 political parties took part in the election, he said and added, “Your (parties’) ideas and views are important to us in the nation-building process.”
During the electioneering, which began days after his return from 17 years of exiled life in the UK, Rahman had noticeably adopted an approach of avoiding inflammatory rhetoric and calling instead for restraint and reconciliation.
On the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, the BNP chairman said that it “depends on the legal process.”
