Those who claim Bangladesh is being sold off to India are brokers for Pakistan, says Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says those who say her government is selling the government off to India are brokers of Pakistan.

The premier made the remarks at a press conference at the Gonobhaban on Tuesday regarding her recent two-day state visit to India, reports bdnews24.com.

When asked about social media criticism of her ties to India, Hasina said, “I have a question - how are they weighing the sale? When something is sold, its weight is measured, no…? Now, of course, there are electric machines. Before, a traditional scaling system was used. But how are they scaling this sale? And how is the sale possible? Bangladesh is an independent country and we achieved that independence by fighting the Liberation War.

“Those who criticise should know that there is only one ally in the world who shed their blood alongside this country’s freedom fighters for Bangladesh’s independence. All of our freedom fighters received training there as well. When other world powers went to assist their allies or aid freedom fighters, they never completely left.”

Hasina said, “There are still American soldiers in Japan and similar things can be seen in many other countries. But India was an exception. They fought alongside us as allies during the war, but when the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted them to return home, then prime minister Indira Gandhi agreed to it and took them back.”

“They had brought in everything, including the weapons of war, and the Pakistani armed forces surrendered to them. But we still received an independent, sovereign state because the Indian army was withdrawn. And still, people say that the country will be sold off to India. How is such a sale possible? That is my question. In fact, those who say these things have already sold out to India.”

Hasina spoke of the ‘attitudes’ of Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad, and Khaleda Zia towards India.

“We saw that… on the surface, they make anti-India statements, but then they go to India and beg at their feet. I saw these things myself and I know it. So, their talk is meaningless.”