Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday demanded the government make public before the Prime Minister’s India tour all the possible deals and MoUs to be signed with the neighbouring country.

At a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also opposed any defence deal with India, warning that the country’s people will not accept any anti-state pact or MoU if the Prime Ministers signs with India ignoring them.

He, however, said BNP wants to see Bangladesh-India ties to get stronger and friendlier further with mutual confidence.

“We hope the government will make public ahead of the Prime Minister’s upcoming India visit all the prospective deals and MoUs to be signed during her tour,” Fakhrul said.

He further said, “This country belongs to people, and they have the right to know and give opinions about all the agreements and MoUs relating to their interests. If the government signs any deal or MoU that goes against the country, its sovereignty, security and public interests, people won’t accept it.”

BNP standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, Tariqul Islam, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and vice chairmen, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and Alatf Hossain Chowdhury were, among others, present.

Hasina is scheduled to undertake a 4-day state visit to India on April 07 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sources at the Foreign Ministry said Bangladesh and India have taken necessary preparations to sign 'more or less 30 deals and MoUs' during the Prime Minister's tour. 

About the speculation over signing a defence deal with India, Fakhrul said, “Bangladesh government claims India-Bangladesh relations are now the best and deeper ones ever. If that’s the case, it’s not comprehensible as to why Bangladesh needs to sign a defence deal with India.”  

The BNP secretary general went on saying, “We don’t think there’s no need for signing any defence agreement or MoU with India. The question of striking a written defence deal or MoU arises only then when there’s a deficit of mutual trust and confidence.”

He said though signs are clear that a defence deal or MoU regarding the defence is going to be signed, it is still not clear what will be there in the contract.

The BNP leader said people are in complete dark about the defence deal as even the Foreign Ministry did not say anything about it.

Referring to media reports that the Prime Minister is going to sign a $50 crore credit deal with India under defence agreement to procure arms from that country, he said it will be an imbalanced deal and the country’s people will have to pay for it dearly.

Mentioning that India is still the number one arms-importing country, Fakhrul questioned how much it will be logical to buy arms from the neighbouring country when modern arms can be bought from China at cheaper prices. “It’s also a question whether India as a new arms-producing country is trying to get Bangladesh as a certain captive market for selling military arms.”

He said it is also still not clear to the country’s people what Bangladesh achieved from the 22 deals and MoUs signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last visit here.

The BNP leader said their party always wants to maintain relations with India as an honest neighbour, but not in no way belittling Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

“Enhancing cooperation for economic progress and consolidating further friendly and amicable ties among the people of the two nations should be the main basis of the two countries’ ties. Our principle is to ensure mutual equality, dignity and respect for sovereignty of each other. We’ll never give any room on Bangladesh soil to carry out anti-Indian activities,” the BNP leader said.

He said their party also expects that India will be respectful for Bangladesh’s unity, independence, and sovereignty. “BNP wants deeper ties among the people of the two countries and only it can ensure sustainable relations between the two nations.”

The BNP leader said if India comes forward with sincerity to resolve the outstanding issues, like ensuring Bangladesh’s fair share of water of Teesta and other common rivers, stopping border killing and minimising trade deficit, the relations between the two nations will be cemented with the confidence of people.