Khaleda thanks Modi for LBA bill passage

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night praised the Narendra Modi government for the passage of historic land boundary agreement in Indian parliament.

“I thank Modi as his government has finally passed the 40-year-old land boundary bill in Lok Sabha. He [Modi] has said his government wants to build relations with the people of Bangladesh, not with any particular party. BNP also wants that,” she said.

Addressing a views-exchange meeting with the newly elected leaders of Taxes Bar Association at her Gulshan office, the BNP chief said Modi is a man of “different character who does not like sycophants”.

She said the Awami League government did many favours to the Congress government (in India). Despite their “sycophancy”, they failed to bring in anything for the country, let alone the Teesta water-sharing deal.

“You [the AL government] have only given [to the Congress government], but failed to bring anything.”

Talking about missing BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, Khaleda alleged that he was “in the hands” of the Rapid Action Battalion. She warned the government of dire consequences if the elite force did not return him safe.

“We have information that it was Rab members who had picked up Salahuddin and he still remains in their custody. Return him to his family members or leave him from where you had picked him up,” the BNP chief said.

Plainclothes men, identifying themselves as detectives, picked up Salahuddin from a house in the city's Uttara on March 10, alleged his family.

Law enforcers repeatedly rejected the allegation.

Reiterating her demand that the Rab be disbanded, she said the elite force members were involved in killing, abduction and enforced disappearance of opposition politicians.

Meanwhile, the BNP yesterday demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of its assistant organising secretary Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, rejecting the probe committee formed by the government in this regard.

BNP standing committee member ASM Hannan Shah made the demand while addressing a doa mahfil arranged for Pintu at the party's Naya Paltan central office.