Bangladesh is reviewing 101 agreements signed with India, according to ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Parliament chief whip Nurul Islam Moni.
The incumbent government is reviewing 101 memorandums of understanding signed between Bangladesh and India, Moni said in Dhaka on Friday. “You will know the outcome of the review very soon,” he told journalists at a post-session press conference at the Parliament Media Centre.
Earlier at the press conference, Moni accused the ousted Awami League government of compromising Bangladesh’s national interests by favouring a friendly country, without naming India.
“When our country’s ships arrived at Chittagong Port, ships from a friendly country used to be unloaded before ours. Ships from that friendly country entered the port before our ships could berth,” he alleged.
In 2015, Bangladesh and India signed an MoU to facilitate the movement of goods to and from India through the Chattogram and Mongla ports. This enabled India to gain smoother access to the landlocked northeastern states. He further alleged that goods-laden vehicles “from that country” were allowed to use Bangladesh’s roads free of charge.Earlier this week, Bangladesh’s state minister for foreign affairs Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh had to move beyond its fascination with India, a remark that has since sparked a debate. Regarding reports of a review of 101 memorandums of understanding, he said the agreements were being scrutinised through the parliamentary process.
There are also reports that the Bangladesh government may put bureaucrats trained in India over the last decade under scrutiny.