Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday alleged that the ruling Awami League government has apparently handed Bangladesh over to India by giving the neighbouring country various facilities only to hang onto power.

Speaking at a press conference at the party's central office in Nayapaltan, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also criticised the government saying it is trying to make the country's all institutions as extension of the neighbouring country.

"The government has given India the corridor in the name of transit and the facility to sue river ports and seaports in the name of transporting goods. But, we're not getting anything in exchange for allowing the country using our roads, waterways and even the air," he said.

The BNP leader also questioned the Indian High Commissioner's recent visit to Bangladesh Police Academy in Rajshahi's Sardah, and alleged that the government is opening up the state secrecy by allowing a neighbouring country's diplomats to visit important institutions of Bangladesh different forces.

"Diplomats of a country, which has very close relations with the current government, are visiting Bangladesh's important institutions of different forces. What kind of sign it is! The government has put the country's independence and sovereignty at stake only to perpetuate it power with another country's support," he said.

Rizvi further said, "The regime is also unveiling the state secrecy to its foreign master to cling to power. Is the foreign diplomats' tour to the different institutions an exposure of any unknown deal?"

He also accused the government of giving the neighbouring country various gifts breaking norms and rules.

On January 30, Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited the Bangladesh Police Academy in Rajshahi's Sardah to see the site of a project of construction of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Building and the setting up of an IT Centre there. The Indian government is giving financial assistance of Tk 108.5 million for the implementation of the project.

Asked why BNP did not raise any question when ex-US Ambassador Dan W Mozena visited 63 districts during his diplomatic assignment here, Rizvi said those were his personal visits. 

The BNP leader said Bangladesh's jute exporters are facing serious difficulties as India has unilaterally imposed anti-dumping duty on import of jute and jute products from Bangladesh. "But the subservient government is neither raising voice against it nor taking any visible step to this end."

On January 5, the Indian government imposed the anti-dumping duty ranging from $6.30 to 351.72 a tonne on import of jute products from Bangladesh for the next five years.