Inking military deal with India would be suicidal: BNP

BNP today warned that inking any military deal with India will be suicidal and against the sovereignty of Bangladesh.

Pointing reports of local newspapers in India, BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed came up with the warning this afternoon, a day into the announcement of PM Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to India on April 7-10.

Rizvi was addressing at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in Dhaka.

“There will be no independence and sovereignty in the country if Bangladesh’s security is dependent on India and our defence policy is taken as per India’s wish,” he said.

He also said people in Bangladesh will never accept any anti-state defence deal and come forward to resist such deals.

Prime Minister of Bangladesh will be visiting India on an invitation extended by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, according to a joint announcement made yesterday simultaneously in Dhaka and New Delhi.

India has proposed a long-term comprehensive defence pact with Bangladesh that encompasses training, sale of military hardware and wide range of military to military cooperation ahead of Hasina’s visit, according to highly placed official sources.

Along with the military cooperation agreement, India has also offered a $500 million line of credit to Bangladesh for the purchase of military hardware, including purchasing of fast patrol craft for the coastguards, radar, and other items for air defence.