Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar’s addressed in a press conference in regards to the 10-point memorandum of understanding and 13 declarations including sending an Indian technical team to Teesta which were announced during the recent visit of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. Jamaat’s central executive committee member and party’s media and publicity secretary Advocate Matiur Rahman Akanda hosted the program. Among others, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Hamidur Rahman Azad and Maulana Abdul Halim, central executive committee member and Dhaka south city Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul and central executive committee member and Dhaka north city Ameer Muhammad Selim Uddin were present on the occasion.

Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar’s address to the nation is as follows:

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim,
Fellow journalists and my beloved countrymen,
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah.

You are all aware that Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India on last June 21 and 22. During this visit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed a 10-point memorandum of understanding with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including increasing rail connectivity through Bangladesh, and made 13-point declarations, including sending an Indian technical team to Teesta. Out of these 10 MoUs, 7 are new and rest of the three are old. These include politics, security, trade, connectivity, water sharing of the common rivers, energy and regional aid and cooperation.

During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit, while she was meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, we issued a statement as the initial response of Jamaat-e-Islami regarding the signing of the 10-point memorandum of understanding and the 13-point declarations. The agreement and memorandum of understanding and the meeting of Prime Minister of two nations and the subsequent statement of the Prime Minister in the media demonstrate that the agreement was made with the intention of giving one-sided benefits to India at the expense of the interests of Bangladesh. This agreement has been made to destroy the independence, sovereignty and the economy of Bangladesh. We have arranged this press conference to clarify our detailed and clear stance about these much talked about issues.

Dear journalists,
The oppressed, repressed, exploited and deprived 17 crore people of the country hoped that during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India, she will attain success in resolving the issue of sharing of water of 54 common rivers, i.e. Ganga, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Surma-Kushiara. It is also expected that, she will return to the country by playing a strong role in realizing the rightful rights of the people of Bangladesh by discussing various burning issues with India including the existing political and economic problems, transit and corridors. But instead of playing a strong role for the interests of the people of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a subservient approach to India at the expense of the interests of Bangladesh. She came back with an empty hand after giving away everything. The people of Bangladesh are angry and shocked by her role. The submissive role of the Prime Minister has disappointed the conscious people of the country.

Dear journalists,
You are all aware that 54 common rivers flowing over Bangladesh and India namely Ganga, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Surma-Kushiara are all international rivers. Bangladesh's right to have a fair share of the water in these rivers is recognized by international river law.

India is violating international law by depriving Bangladesh of its fair share of the waters of common international rivers. Bangladesh also has the right to approach the International Court of Justice against India's violation of international law. But due to submissive foreign policy, the government is not having the courage to go to the international court, and the Bangladesh government is also not able to play a strong role in bargaining with India. This is happening as the current government of Bangladesh was not elected by the people. Bypassing free, fair, impartial and participatory elections under the caretaker government, the current government has remained in power for 15 years with the direct and indirect cooperation of neighboring India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Mr. Obaidul Quader have publicly acknowledged this fact many times. The people of the country have no support and trust upon the current government. As there is no moral or legal ground for the current government to remain in power. It is not possible for such a dependent government to claim the rightful rights of the people of Bangladesh from India.

The MoU signed by the current government with India states that "Indian technical team will visit Bangladesh to discuss conservation and management of Teesta River water." The proposal to send an Indian team to conserve Teesta water in Bangladesh is very insulting to Bangladesh. Bangladeshi water experts are enough to conserve Teesta water. India is making various proposals as excuses just for not giving its fair share of Teesta water. As such, Indian offers are not acceptable.

India is not giving Bangladesh its fair share of the water of the Ganges, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Surma and Kushiara rivers; but they are unilaterally withdrawing water by making dam in the upstream of those rivers, making Bangladesh dry in winter and summer and flooding in monsoon. Currently, greater Sylhet and Rangpur region are severely suffering from the floor crisis. Various crops including paddy and jute have been submerged in the flood. In this way, thousands of crores of rupees of crops are being lost every year. As a result, Bangladesh is becoming economically looser every year due to India's water aggression. To deal with this water invasion of India, we urge the government to undertake large mega projects including building dams and dredging the flooded rivers.

Fellow journalists,
As you know, during her visit to India, the Prime Minister signed a memorandum of understanding to extend India's railway connectivity to Rajshahi of Bangladesh. Prime Minister is delighted by providing transit and corridor to India through Bangladesh. Not only that, agreements have been signed for construction of Mongla Sea Port, Chittagong Sea Port and EPZ at Mirsrai in Chittagong. The countrymen feel that as a result of these actions of the Prime Minister, the independence and sovereignty of the country is genuinely under threat. The government says that an experimental contract has been entered into to run railways up to Rajshahi. We would like to recall that in 1975, the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi took permission to open the Farakka Dam on such an experimental basis for only 45 days. But India's 45-day period has not ended even today. Therefore, the people of the country think that the talk of experimentally running the rail link up to Rajshahi is nothing but a deception. Perhaps their experimental rail link will never expire. So, the patriotic people of Bangladesh are not interested to accept the memorandum of understanding, signed between these two countries.

What will be carried on the rail through Bangladesh is not clearly stated. It was not mentioned whether it was a passenger train or a freight train. It is also not clear whether the train will carry Indian army and military equipment or not. It may be a plot to carry military personnel via this route in order to destroy the patriotic freedom fighters across the 7 states of India located on the north-eastern border of Bangladesh. The scenario will be very dangerous for the security of Bangladesh. There is also a danger that Bangladesh may become a battlefield due to the attack of freedom fighters of 7 Indian states on Indian trains. So, we are appealing to the government to refrain from taking such dangerous steps.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked in her latest press conference, what is the harm in giving transit and corridor to India? We would like to ask her a counter question that what is the benefit of Bangladesh from this project? Can she prove any benefit of Bangladesh from this transit-corridor project?

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her speech referred about the transit and corridor facilities between different European countries. The example of various neighboring countries of Europe is not applicable at all in relation to the relationship between Bangladesh and India. Because there are no rivers in Europe like 54 common rivers flowing over India and Bangladesh. The 27 countries of the European Union have the same currency, the same religion, the same language, education, culture and free market economy. Economically, all European countries are almost similar. Those countries have tested and proved multi-party democratic systems and human rights. Residents of those countries are not killed by the border guards of other countries. No country has a barbed wire fence on its border.

While Bangladesh and India have different currencies, and so as the religion, education, culture and language of the people of the two countries are different. There is a huge gap in currency values. There is a barbed wire fence between the two countries. Indian BSF is shooting and killing Bangladeshi people like birds at the border areas. Bangladesh government is not protesting and redressing this issue at all. BGB of Bangladesh never killed Indians. Bangladesh is now under one-party authoritarian rule. Narendra Modi's extreme Hindutva Islamophobic regime is also going on in India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina actually brought the issue of intra-European country transit-corridor facilities in forth in order to justify her decision of giving transit to India.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members have argued in favor of giving India the corridor and transit, saying that Bangladesh will become a developed country like Singapore and Thailand if India is allowed to use the Chittagong and Mongla ports through the transit and corridor privilege. But the people of the country are noticing with anger and dissatisfaction that Bangladesh has not improved at all by allowing India to use the transit and corridor, instead the country is turning into a bankrupt state like Sri Lanka. There is a severe liquidity crisis in banks and also in the reserve fund. The government is running the country only with debt. Until today, the government has not revealed how much money Bangladesh collects or earns from India every year by allowing India to use the transit and corridor. Bangladesh has not gained any benefit from the transit and corridor rather it has suffered.

Dear journalist friends,
We all know that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has signed an agreement to enrich the Bangladesh Army and Police with high-quality military training from India. We all know that Bangladesh is surrounded by India by three sides. India has various problems with Bangladesh. So if Bangladesh is hit by any country, then there is a danger that it may come from India. The people of Bangladesh must think deeply about whether the training of Bangladesh's military and police forces by the Indian counterparts is against the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh or not.

Since Bangladesh's independence, the Bangladeshi military has been receiving advanced military training from Great Britain, Australia, America, and various European countries. But the countrymen feel that there is a conspiracy to turn the Bangladesh army and police into a loyal force to India and the recent agreement is demonstrating the same threat. In the name of Indian training, there is a deep conspiracy going on to brainwash the Bangladeshi military and police forces and turn them into loyalists to India. It is a serious blow to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also talked about purchasing arms from India and Russia. The people of Bangladesh are alarmed and worried about such mysterious activities of the government.

The people of Bangladesh own Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh have the right to elect their preferable representatives to rule this country. The incumbent government is not elected by the people. This government has no right to conduct any agreement by selling the interests of the people and the country. The people of Bangladesh are rejecting all MoUs, declarations and agreements made by this unelected government with India against the national interest. We appeal to the people of the country to raise their voice against these illegal, undemocratic and intentional activities of the current illegal government.

I am ending my speech by thanking you all.
Allah Hafez, Bangladesh Zindabad
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Zindabad

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

Mia Golam Porwar, Ex-MP
Secretary General
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami