New Delhi [India], January 9 : Former diplomat Surendra Kumar has said that Bangladesh's attitude towards India was "very disappointing", given that the neighbouring country wouldn't even exist without India.
"It is a very disappointing and sad development. Bangladesh, for which India did so much. There was no Bangladesh without India. Even the son of Khaleda Zia has gone on record that we can't forget what actually happened in 1971 - what India did for them. Now, the current government, the chief coordinator, has its own way," Kumar told ANI.
"Even Hadi's family is still saying he has been killed by the goons of the government," he added.
Sharif Osman Hadi, an Inqilab Moncho convenor and one of the prominent figures behind the July uprising last year, which led to the ousting of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime, was pronounced dead on December 18, after he was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area.
Kumar wondered why they forgot the atrocities Pakistan committed against them while renewing relations with the nation.
"Now, to really go to have this kind of relationship with Pakistan, whose army under General Zia killed almost 3 million East Pakistanis, raped nearly 300,000 women, to really forget all those atrocities, to forget all the carnage, and to really patch up in military terms. They're not making sense. In fact, who? You will buy these FJ-17 of Chinese origin. You against whom? The Air Force man-made the Bangladeshi Air Force," he said.
He noted that Bangladesh must maintain good relations with India to ensure its prosperity.
"You want to have good relations with India, but this is not the way to good relations. We want to have a good relationship. Look at you. Electricity is going from here. We signed the border agreement, and water-sharing arrangements have been ongoing. Talks have been going on. But this kind of action in the long run is not in Bangladesh's interest. I hope that during the election takes place, whichever government come to power, we'll realise their long-term interest lies with good relations in India," he said.
He recounted that the Maldives also shifted from its anti-India narrative to a pro-India stance after its elections.
"You remember what happened in the Maldives. The Maldives president came (to power) propagating the 'India Out' movement. However, he realised that it is good to have relations with India," he said.
He recounted that India did not lose its composure and remained calm throughout.
"In India, we did not lose cool. We allowed them long robes, and finally, we have good relations. I hope the new government after the elections will have a deeper understanding and work toward closer, normal, warmer relations with India, which will benefit both Bangladesh and India. And the current government (in Bangladesh), till then, must exercise its authority and clamp down on all these violent actions against Hindus and lynching of the Indian people," he said.
As the date of the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh draws nearer, communal violence is increasing at an alarming rate. In December alone, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported.