Workers’ Party of Bangladesh chief Rashed Khan Menon has criticised the MoU signed with Saudi Arabia on military cooperation, saying it “goes against the Constitution”.
“Members of Bangladesh Army will lose their lives to remove mines on Yemen’s border , which the Constution does not permits,” Menon told the parliament on Thursday (Feb 14).
Early in the day, Dhaka and Riyadh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) titled ‘Defence Cooperation between Bangladesh and Arabia’ to bolster bilateral military relation.
Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh’ Armed Forces Division Lt General Md Mahfuzur Rahman and Saudi Arabian armed forces’ Deputy Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Mutlaq bin Salim Al-azaima signed the non-binding agreement in Riyadh on Thursday (Feb 14).
Under the agreement, both countries will cooperate on a number of issues including military training, exercise and education, military information and intelligence, defence industry, supply and maintenance, inspection and exchange of expertise, military medical and research, sports, social and cultural activities, science and technology, and exchange of military personnel, maritime security and fight against pirates.
Menon, whose party is one of the major allies in the ruling Awami League-led 14-party Alliance, also demanded the Speaker’s ruling and foreign minister’s statement on the matter.
Referring to Article 25 of the Constitution, Memon said, “Under the pact, members of Bangladesh Army will risk their lives to remove mines on the Yemen border, which is a conflicting area.”
Saudi Arabia’s neighbour Yemen has gone on war for almost four-year war killing tens of thousands of people collapsing its economy and infrastructure.
The conflict pits the Iran-aligned Houthi movement against a Saudi-backed coalition trying to restore the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after it was ousted from power in Sanaa by the Houthis in 2014.
Menon said, “Once the army earned accolade for landmine removal mines in Kuwait after Iraq invaded the country. Why they will have to give their lives in the name of mine removal.
“Not only that, when our army will take position on Yemen border, a conflicting relation will arise. But, the Constitution says Bangladesh will not take position on any conflicting zone,” he claimed.
Opposition Jatiya Party’s lawmaker Fakhrul Imam extended his support o to Menon, who served as the civil aviation and tourism minister in the previous AL government until he was moved to social welfare ministry.
“The House is on the session. But, parliament hasn’t been informed of the pact,” Imam said before urging to discuss the pact in House.
Both Menon and Imam spoke on the ‘point of order’ on Thursday after the House went on the session with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.