Khaleda goes to India on Sunday
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will leave for New Delhi on Sunday on a week-long visit to India to tell its leadership that her party is not against India and wants to develop the best of relations with the next-door neighbour.
Khaleda, who will lead a nine-member party delegation, is paying the visit at the invitation of the Indian government, and she will hold talks with top government and opposition leaders, high officials, civil society members and others concerned.
Sources in New Delhi said the government has completed all preparations for the visit of Bangladesh's former prime minister in an effort to reach out to diverse political groups in the neighbouring country.
Diplomatic circles in Dhaka see this as an opportunity for a breakthrough considering Khaleda Zia and her party's traditional anti-Indian posture. They believe the ensuing visit will have a positive impact in building mutual understanding and confidence.
Analysts say inviting the opposition leader to visit India and her acceptance of the invitation is a positive move, as both the sides realise the importance of deepening bilateral ties further.
The ruling Awami League is curious about the BNP chief's visit to India since it is being considered very significant ahead of the general election in Bangladesh late next year.
Talking to The Daily Star, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said yesterday his party has welcomed Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's recent remarks that his country believes in building relationship with the people of Bangladesh, not with any individual or party.
“Even we don't want India to have relationship only with BNP … We cannot afford to quarrel as we cannot change our geography. We want relationship with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereignty, equity and amity,” he said.
During her visit, Khaleda Zia will raise issues of national interest such as sharing of waters of the common rivers , killing of innocent Bangladeshis on the border, Tipaimukh Dam, exchange of enclaves, boundary demarcation and border security, Nazrul said.
“We want India to recognise the concern of the people of Bangladesh over these issues and take steps to remove those permanently,” he added.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited Khaleda to visit India during his Dhaka visit on September 6-7 last year. Later, the then Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna met Khaleda and communicated the Indian government's invitation.
They told Khaleda that India wanted to build good relations with all political actors in Bangladesh, not with any specific party. “We want to reach out to all the people and all the political parties in Bangladesh,” the Indian premier said, as quoted by a BNP leader.
As scheduled, sources said, the BNP delegation will leave for New Delhi by a Jet Airlines flight on Sunday morning and will first call on President Pranab Mukherjee. Khaleda will then call on the prime minister, and Congress Party President and ruling UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi.
Indian Leader of the Opposition and BJP lawmaker Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and other senior leaders and officials will call on Khaleda at Taj Palace where she will stay during the visit.
From New Delhi, Khaleda will go to Joypur and visit Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's shrine at Ajmer. Indian government officials in Rajsthan as well as local politicians will meet her during the two-day visit to Ajmer.
The BNP delegation includes Tariqul Islam, Khaleda Rabbani, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Reaz Rahman, Sabihuddin Ahmed and Mosaddak Ali (Falu). Besides, the BNP chairperson's Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, Private Secretary Saleh Ahmed and personal photographer Nuruddin Nuru will accompany her.
The Indian government is expected to bear the entire cost of the tour, accommodation etc for Khaleda and five others, sources said.
A 28-member media team from Bangladesh will also accompany the BNP chairperson, but they are travelling privately.
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