BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said people want to know what efforts Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has made to sign Teesta water-sharing deal and resolve the outstanding problems with India during her visit to the neighbouring country.

Speaking at an iftar party, he also opposed the Election Commission’s (EC’s) move to amend the Election Code of Conduct 2016 allowing MPs to join election campaigns, reports the UNB.

‘The Prime Minister went to India’s West Bengal and opened Bangladesh Bhaban at Santiniketan. It’s very well. At the same it’s the question of people and all of us whether she talked about our outstanding problems and justified rights,’ Fakhrul said.

Speaking at an iftar party, he also said, ‘When Awami League had formed the government nine years back, it told people that it was only a matter of time to ink the Teesta deal, but it couldn’t sign any agreement even to bring a drop of water.’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to West Bengal in the morning on a two-day visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Fakhrul said the government signed defence deals and gave India Transit and other facilities though it could not sign any agreement about the realising the fair share of water of common rivers, including Tessta, with India.

Jatiya Party (Zafar), one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, arranged the iftar party at a convention centre in the city’s Gulshan area.

The BNP secretary general said the EC is going to allow the MPs to take part in electioneering succumbing to a ruling party pressure.

‘We would like to clearly say the EC’s such move will put an obstacle to holding a neutral and credible election. It won’t be possible to ensure a level-playing field, especially in city and other local body polls, if the MPs are given the chance to carry out election campaigns,’ he observed.

The BNP leader urged the EC to refrain from amending the election code of conduct for the sake of holding a fair election.

He also renewed their party’s demand for reconstitution of the EC as it failed to neutrally conduct Khulna city polls.

Fakhrul criticised the government for what he said killing people unlawfully in the name of anti-narcotics drive as part of its evil tactic to suppress the opposition leaders and activists.

He also urged the government to take action first against those ruling party leaders who are involved in drug peddling.