After the historic victory of Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the general election, BNP chairman Tarique Rahman’s adviser Humayun Kabir said on Saturday that “Hindu extremism and far-right intolerance” was on the rise in India. He also described radicalization as a wider problem in South Asia.
In an interview with PTIKabir said: “Radicalization is a problem in South Asia. We see Hindu extremism and far-right intolerance growing in Indian society and we also hear about extremist elements in Pakistan. It is not at that level in Bangladesh, but there are some problems.”
He also emphasized that regional governments must work together instead of operating in isolation.
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“That’s why we all need to share counter-terrorism evidence and assessments and strengthen cooperation. Sitting in isolation and not engaging in information sharing or security cooperation only hinders progress,” Kabir said.
“It is important that we cooperate at all levels, which is the norm of diplomacy, especially among elected governments in our region. Information sharing and cooperation in the future will strengthen confidence in detecting and tracking terrorists and extremists in the region,” he added.
Calling for a balanced and cooperative relationship with India, Kabir also said that during the regime of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka’s foreign policy was more in line with India’s foreign policy than Bangladesh’s.
“For the last 15 years under the Hasina government, there have been deep and disturbing fears that foreign policy has been more aligned with India’s foreign policy than Bangladesh’s. These fears will continue to exist,” he said.
“What we want are balanced relations. We will not limit our relations to a single country and we will not accept any agreements that prevent us from doing business with others. We will avoid such agreements and disclosures,” he added.
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Attacks on minorities
On the issue of attacks on minorities, Kabir noted that communal harmony prevails in Bangladesh.
“Minority violence in India does not exist in the same form as in Bangladesh where there is harmony,” Kabir said.
“After the August 5 uprising, Bangladesh was without a government for five days, yet no one attacked minorities because our leader Tarique Rahman urged people to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands,” he added.
Tarique Rahman calls for peace after elections
Bangladesh Nationalist Party Tarique Rahman is set to become Prime Minister after winning the general election.
In his victory speech on Saturday, Rahman called for calm across the country and said that peace and the rule of law must be upheld at all costs in post-election Bangladesh.
“Now is the time to build a nation. In this journey of rebuilding the country, each of us must play a responsible role. We celebrated this victory of democracy and human rights peacefully and with dignity,” Rahman said.