Humanitarian corridor to Myanmar’s Rakhine State will drag BD to war: Hafiz

BNP Standing Committee member Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Tuesday said the government has kept the public and political parties in the dark about the ‘humanitarian corridor’ to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, commemorating populist leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani’s long march towards the Farakka Dam 49 years ago, he said, “We are deeply worried that the current government is talking about a humanitarian corridor to Rakhine.”

“We don’t know what kind of corridor it will be the people don’t know, the political parties don’t know what its purpose is. Are we going to get involved in a new war?” he asked.

On such a crucial issue, the BNP leader said the government should have discussed it with political parties.
Hafiz said that the Foreign Affairs Adviser and the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary made conflicting statements regarding the corridor.

“Someone said that an agreement has been made but its conditions cannot be disclosed. One of its Advisers said they have not given a final opinion on the corridor. So, people are in the dark. What kind of government is this!” he said.

Hafiz said the people of Bangladesh ousted the mafia regime of Sheikh Hasina through a 16-year struggle for the restoration of democracy.

“Why should we still remain in the dark? The most popular party, BNP, also does not know what kind of corridor it is or what will be done with it,” he said.

Hafiz said there is no alternative for Bangladesh but to gain strength by utilising its military and the younger generation.

“Myanmar is a country of six crore people, while we are a country of 18 crore. What is the purpose of maintaining our large army? Will it only be used to rescue empty canals and rivers, distribute relief, and build bridges? Or is its main task to safeguard our independence by empowering the people? A state decision is needed on this matter,” the BNP leader said.

He said strong unity among the people is essential, as Bangladesh has a very vibrant young population.

“We, being imbued with nationalist spirit, must turn Bangladesh into a powerful country. We want to remain united; we will not be involved in any kind of aggression. Our goal is overall economic emancipation and progress. To achieve this, we need an elected government, discarding the current amateur one,” Hafiz said.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said India is unilaterally withdrawing water from many common rivers, violating the internal rules and norms.

He criticised India for its aggressive attitude towards its neighbours and for depriving Bangladesh of its fair share of water from common rivers, including the Ganges, through the construction of the Farakka Barrage and other dams.

Rizvi said Bangladesh did not take any side during the recent brief conflict between India and Pakistan.

He, however, lamented that the Indian media launched various negative campaigns, attempting to associate Bangladesh with Pakistan.