Should have been consulted before Hasina’s India visit: Zia
By IANSMonday, February 8, 2010
DHAKA - Bangladesh’s opposition leader Khaleda Zia Monday criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for not consulting her before visiting India in December and termed as a “sell-out” the accords signed with the neighbouring country.
Zia said she would have gone and met the prime minister had she been invited to discuss the India trip.
“If I didn’t respond, you would have criticised me,” Zia was quoted as telling editors and senior journalists.
She rejected as sell-out the two agreements and three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed during the visit and alleged that Hasina had signed a secret security deal with the Indian leadership”.
She alleged that Hasina had given away whatever Bangladesh could bargain for in return for “assurances” from India.
Zia rejected appeals from mediapersons to return to parliament that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies have been boycotting since June last.
“Going back to parliament alone will not solve the problem, media has to be allowed to play its role,” bdnews24.com web site quoted her as saying.
“The ruling party doesn’t want us to return to parliament. Once we announced (that we’d go back) they started making provocative statements.
“They know if we go and speak in parliament, they will be in trouble,” Zia, a two-term prime minister (1991-96 and 2001-06), said.
