India making floods worse in Bangladesh

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday criticised India for "opening sluice gates of the Farakka Barrage", which makes floods in Bangladesh worse.

“They [India] are our friendly neighbouring country. But this cannot be that we will not protest if they do any injustice against us,” Khaleda said at a discussion in city's Institution of Engineers.

The BNP organised the programme to mark its 38th founding anniversary.

This is for the first time, Khaleda spoke at the party's founding anniversary programme as the chief guest. In the previous years, Khaleda used to sit in the audience row in such programme, party insiders said.

In her hour long speech, Khaleda alleged that in the dry season, India diverts water from different joint rivers with Bangladesh and does not open the Farakka Barrage.

"But in the rainy season, they open the gates of the barrage for their own interest, which worsens flood situation in our country,” she said.

“We don't have enmity or bad relations with our neighbour. We can resolve the problem through discussion to ensure our rights,” she added

The BNP chief also lambasted the Awami League for signing treaties with India that went against the country's interest.

She again called upon the government to cancel the Rampal coal-based power plant, considering adverse effect on the Sundarbans.

Pointing to the recent killing of militants in "gunfights" with law enforcers, Khaleda questioned whether they were actually militants.

She also came up with an explanation on the claims of Rapid Action Battalion and police on different times about arresting militants.

“The fact is that law enforcement agencies arrest some people and keep them without food and unshaven for several days. Then they have a bizarre look. Law enforcement agencies then bring those people before the media, claiming them as militants,” she added.

“The militant suspects should be awarded punishment through legal procedures. Instead, the government is killing them. Even in some cases, their family members are also being harassed which cannot be acceptable,” she added.

Khaleda yesterday opened her official fan page and personal accounts in different social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

The former premier officially started publishing her status and opinions on the Facebook page and Twitter account at the programme.

In her first tweet, she says: “Appeal of the founding anniversary day -- let us defeat the autocratic rule, get united and build free and democratic country.”