The issue of Bangladeshis staying in India is more political than anything else. The claim of the Indian newspapers is preposterous. Bangladesh's position that there are no Bangladeshis in India is also not correct. The truth is our borders are so porous that Bangladeshis move between the borders illegally and there is just no way to stop this. It is also true that India is no United States to attract our poor to migrate in that large number to India and in fact, compared to many places of India, there are more opportunities for the poor in Bangladesh. Finally, if the Indian newspapers are talking about people in West Bengal from former East Bengal and East Pakistan, which includes the former West Bengal Chief Minister Mr. Joyoti Basu, then we are talking of a different ball game that just can never be resolved.

The Indians are using this issue just to embarrass and harass Bangladesh. It is also one of the many cards that the Indian have against us. The answer to the resolution of this and many other irritants in our bilateral relations is healthy and strong bilateral relations where friendship not confrontation is the way out. As the cards are stacked against us, it is in our interest that we seek friendship and not confrontation.

This push-in issue was coming ever since the FM's famous outburst and BNP's generally anti-Indian posture. More such issues are in line. We need to look into our relations with India objectively and make adjustments on what Indians want from us before accusing Indians of wrong doings.