Relations between India and Bangladesh are not dependent on the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League party and it is natural to have “adverse reactions” in the country over Delhi giving refuge to the former prime minister, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party said on Friday, PTI reported.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is the Awami League’s main opponent.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader, told PTI that India was “very important” to Dhaka and that it was time to start a new chapter in bilateral relations.

On August 5, Hasina resigned as the country’s prime minister and fled to India amid widespread protests against her government. Subsequently, Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced the formation of an interim government, which is led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

On Friday, Hossain told PTI that he hoped that the Indian government would no longer support Hasina and the Awami League.

Abdul Awal Mintoo, the vice chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, told PTI that it would have been better had Hasina not fled to India “as we are yearning to have good relations” with Delhi. “Bangladesh and its people believe and see India as a friend,” Mintoo was quoted as saying.

However, India has the right to provide refuge to anybody they choose under international law, Mintoo added.

Hossain said that the impact of India giving refuge to Hasina was “quite natural”.

“For example, if I don’t like you and someone else is supporting you, then I will naturally have a dislike for that person too,” PTI quoted him as saying. “It is natural to have adverse reactions.”

However, India and Bangladesh always shared good ties irrespective of whether the Awami League or Hasina was in power, Hossain added.

“When Bangladesh Nationalist Party was in power, I was a minister in the Bangladesh government,” Hossain said. “We had seen how both countries shared an excellent relationship. India is very important to Bangladesh, as India has always supported the people of Bangladesh. Both countries will continue to have good bilateral ties.”

He said that Bangladesh hoped that India would not support a “corrupt and dictatorial regime like the Awami League”. “We think the people of India have also realised this,” he added.

Hossain noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated the new interim government and that the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka had attended Yunus’ swearing-in ceremony. “So we feel that India supports the new interim government and does not support those who fled the country,” he was quoted as saying.

Bangladesh’s chief justice resigns

The chief justice of Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Saturday said that he had agreed to resign after he was given an ultimatum by protestors, Prothom Alo reported quoting unidentified law ministry officials.

Obaidul Hassan, who is considered as a Hasina loyalist by some groups, had taken over as the chief justice in September. He was asked to step down by protestors, who gathered outside the court in Dhaka, AFP reported.

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