The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said on Thursday that the existence of Bangladesh was in danger due to the Awami League government’s policy towards India.

‘Today, the existence of Bangladesh is in danger. You have seen that during the prime minister’s recent India visit, all the agreements and memorandums of understanding were made, none in favour of Bangladesh,’ Fakhrul said at a human chain programme in Dhaka.

The Women and Children’s Rights Forum organised the programme in front of the BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, demanding the unconditional release of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

‘A foreign minister has been appointed, who again and again gives us the impression that we do not understand the difference between a treaty and a MoU. He advises us to study. I don’t want to answer his words. I just want to say one thing, don’t be dishonest with the country. Do not fool people and mislead them into signing treaties and agreements that are against the interests of my people,’ he said.

Saying that the people want to know what the government has achieved during the prime minister’s visit to India, the BNP secretary general said, ‘There is no talk of border killing. India is our close friend, such a close friend who shoots and kills our citizens at the border.’

He said that there was no such precedent anywhere in the world, and people could not be misled by how the government was justifying India’s killing.

Fakhrul said that the country is in extreme danger, the government is selling the country, and there is no rule of law in the country.

‘They [the government] destroyed every institution, the independence of the judiciary has been undermined, and the media has been strangled,’ he said, adding that the aim is to prolong the power that has been illegally usurped.

Fakhrul suspected that the renewal of the suspension of the sentence of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia every six months was a government trick.

He said that Khaleda Zia was sentenced in an arranged case, as the main goal was to remove her from politics.

Khaleda Zia has been detained for using the law illegally, he said, adding that the former prime minister has to fight death every day.

Stating that Khaleda Zia’s release movement is significant for the overall movement, the BNP secretary general said that democracy and Khaleda Zia could not be separated.

‘Khaleda Zia and democracy are synonymous. If Khaleda Zia can be freed, democracy will be freed. If democracy can be freed, Khaleda Zia will be freed,’ he said.