Nahid wants new Indian envoy to apologise

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam on Sunday said newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi should have apologised for what he alleged was India's direct and indirect support for the Awami League government over the past 16 years.

Taking part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for FY2026-27 in Parliament, Nahid also accused India of providing shelter to those responsible for the July mass uprising killings and the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi.

"The new Indian High Commissioner came to Bangladesh and began speaking sweetly about shared skies and lands. But we have not forgotten the last 16 years," he said.

According to Nahid, the envoy's first step should have been to apologise for India's alleged role in supporting the previous Awami League government and for sheltering individuals accused of involvement in the July killings.

He said the Indian envoy should instead have outlined how New Delhi intended to build a new relationship with Bangladesh based on dignity and equality.

The BNP leader also criticised what he described as continued border killings, claiming that India's Border Security Force (BSF) had killed 10 Bangladeshis since the present government assumed office.

He alleged that India had also been attempting to push people into Bangladesh by labelling them as illegal Bangladeshi nationals.

Nahid expressed disappointment that Parliament did not allocate time to discuss the issue of "push-ins" during the budget session.

"As a party carrying the word 'nationalist' in its name, we want to see how the government stops border killings. We will extend our full cooperation in this regard," he said, while praising the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for its resistance along the frontier.

Criticising remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Nahid said the Indian politician had been making "reckless" comments about Bangladesh.

"The Bangladesh government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must respond firmly," he said.

Recalling historical ties between Bengal and Kolkata, he said Bangladesh wanted relations with neighbouring countries based on mutual respect and equality, adding that the government's "Bangladesh First" policy should be reflected in action rather than rhetoric.

Turning to domestic issues, Nahid urged the government to curb corruption, implement the July Charter and bring to justice those involved in large-scale financial embezzlement and money laundering.

Speaking on the Bank Resolution Act, he alleged that recent reforms had created opportunities for major loan defaulters to regain influence.

He argued that individuals and business groups responsible for large-scale loan defaults, money laundering and financial crimes should face stronger legal action.

Naming business groups including S Alam, Sikder Group, Gemcon, Beximco, Nasa and Orion, he questioned what legal measures the government was taking against them.

Nahid argued that existing laws were insufficient because state institutions had allegedly been used to facilitate financial irregularities under the previous administration.

He called for new legislation to deal with major financial crimes and suggested nationalising assets that had been used as collateral for loans obtained through alleged corruption.

The opposition chief whip also questioned what action the government intended to take regarding agreements with India's Adani Group and Summit Group, alleging that any challenge to such contracts would require proving corruption through international legal mechanisms.

Expressing concern over defence spending, Nahid said the Finance Minister had not devoted even a single paragraph in the budget speech to outlining the government's defence strategy.

He said most of the defence allocation would go towards operational expenditure rather than long-term development.

Nahid further argued that meaningful economic reforms would not be possible without political and institutional reforms.

He questioned whether the government would reform the Anti-Corruption Commission, the judiciary and the Constitution, saying economic democratisation depended on ensuring political reform and good governance.

He also asked what had happened to the proposed Constitutional Reform Commission and the Economic Reform Commission, questioning whether abandoning such initiatives amounted to misleading the nation, reports UNB.