'If You Help Our Enemy...': What Bangladesh's BNP Told India On Sheikh Hasina's Stay

Hasina is currently in a safe house at an unspecified location in India since Monday.

Veteran BNP functionary Gayeshwar Roy, who served as a minister in the BNP-led government in Bangladesh n 1991, is also a member of the party's standing committee.

"BNP believes Bangladesh and India must have mutual cooperation...Indian government will have to understand and behave in a manner which follows that spirit. But if you help our enemy then it becomes difficult for that mutual cooperation to be honoured," Roy told Times of India.

Our former foreign minister (in the Hasina government) said here before the last elections that India will help Sheikh Hasina's return to office. Sheikh Hasina's liability is being borne by India... Indian and Bangladesh people don't have issues with each other. But should India promote one party and not the entire country?" Roy responded to a question on BNP's anti-India stance.

ATTACKS ON HINDUS

On the alleged attacks on Hindus and BNP's perceived anti-minority stance, Roy said that his party consists of people from different communities in Bangladesh and stands for all religions.

"I have been a minister in this party's regime and am ranked high enough in the BNP's highest decision-making forum. BNP is a nationalist party but we believe in the individual rights of all communities," the BNP functionary told ToI.

He said that it was his party's government that started the donation systems for Durga Pujas.

ELEMENTS OF TERRORISM

He said that terrorist elements targeting India using Bangladesh is also a "perception".

"Not the truth. India has helped in getting our Independence... we cannot be against India. We are a smaller country, we need India for many things including medical facilities, many other goods for our people, but the revenue that India earns from Bangladeshis on these accounts are also not a small amount," Roy said.

Roy further clarified that BNP's relation with Jamaat-e-Islami is "tactical support" and not an "ideological relationship".

He said that the tactical support is to do with electoral politics.

"Awami League was in an official alliance with the Jamaat. From 2018 to 2024 we (BNP) had no relations with the Jamaat. There was Left, there was right, but there was no Jamaat with us. Sheikh Hasina took the Jamaat on board. Later, she created Hefazat-e-Islam group to counter Jamaat. Today the same Hefazat is on the streets against Awami League. Jamaat believes in elections," Roy added.

YUNUS TAKES CHARGE OF INTERIM GOVT

Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mohammad Yunus, took oath as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday at the presidential palace in Dhaka.

During the ceremony, Yunus pledged to "uphold, support, and protect the constitution" and vowed to perform his duties "sincerely".

Sixteen other people have been included in the interim council with members drawn mainly from civil society and including two of the student protest leaders.

Roy said that "since the students wanted Dr Mohammad Yunus as the leader and a non-political government as an interim arrangement, BNP did not suggest any names from the party".