India will face public resentment if it keeps sheltering dictators: Tarique tells BBC Bangla

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has said that India will face public resentment if it continues to shelter dictators and that his party has little to do about it.

"…It's the people of Bangladesh who have decided to remain calm towards them. So, I must stand with my country's people," Tarique said in an interview with BBC Bangla published today.

He made this remark when he was asked about deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's stay in India and the current relations.

Speaking about the performance of the interim government, Tarique said, "Maybe they have made efforts in several areas. Not everyone can succeed in everything. Naturally, they have certain limitations. Within their limits, maybe they have tried as much as they could."

Reflecting on the 1/11 government or the army-backed government of that time, he said, "If I have to say in one sentence or briefly, the 1/11 government was a purposefully motivated, ill-intentioned government."

On BNP's stance about press freedom, Tarique said, "Open any newspaper from 2001 to 2006. I won't mention any names or any newspaper. Just look and see how many reports were published -- many of them were not true, those were propaganda, but the propaganda was presented as news."

"So, I can guarantee you that during the previous BNP government, journalists were not abducted, not tortured, and not forced to leave the country. In Shaa Allah, this will not happen in the future either," he said.