The recent India tour of three BNP leaders has raised questions among the party cadres over the foreign policy the party had practiced so far.
A section of top BNP leaders are incensed as the tour, reportedly organised with the party’s acting Chairman, Tareque Rahman’s consent, put former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s foreign policy into question.
BNP Standing Committee Member, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and Tarique Rahman's Advisor and BNP’s International Affairs Secretary, Humayun Kabir visited India last week.
During that visit, they met senior leaders of India's ruling BJP, opposition Congress, three NGOs, and several political and economic analysts.
A Standing Committee member told the Bangla Tribune: "The last Standing Committee meeting instructed the party leaders to communicate with foreign friends and politicians through their own initiatives, and urge them to stand beside BNP to make the next election fair and neutral.”
An influential source of BNP’s foreign wing said: “The tour was organised with the consent of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. He had been told that BNP needs to win the next election to free Khaleda Zia from jail, and therefore, required India as an ally."





BNP sources said that the objective of the trip were to fathom opinion of Indian influential personalities and convey BNP leaders’ opinion to them.
Although none opposed the tour at first, the statement of Amir Khasru and Humayun Kabir, published on June 8, in a popular Indian newspaper, The Hindu, triggered strong criticism inside the party.
Quoting BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, the influential daily wrote, "People of Bangladesh hope India will play a constructive role and not support a particular party."
Quoting Humayun Kabir, The Hindu reported, “The politics of the 80s and the 90s is out of the window now. Tarique Rahman wants us to engage India.”
The policy of troubled relations between India and Bangladesh during BNP’s previous tenure was misguided and foolish, stated The Hindu quoting Kabir.
After the statements were published, leaders and activists of the party are asking as to why BNP’s long term policy is being sacrificed to win India’s support.
Contacted, BNP International Affairs Secretary, Barrister Nawshad Jamir said, “President Zia or Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s foreign policy with India was neither misguided nor foolish. Rather, those are misguided who fail to consider time and context.”
BNP’s international wing sources said that in the last two days since publication of the report in The Hindu, officials of different foreign embassies are raising question over BNP’s new stance.
An important member of BNP’s international wing said, “India will never support BNP, sidelining Awami League. Instead, they will instruct us to participate in the election under Sheikh Hasina’s government.”
Another BNP Standing Committee member observed: "the statement of three BNP leaders will be discussed in the standing committee meeting; Tarique Rahman will be informed of the outcome and give the final decision.”
Political analyst Dr Jafarullah Chowdhury told the Bengali Tribune, "BNP leaders can go to India but not as a submissive entity.”
“They (BNP) have to ask for corridor to Nepal and Bhutan and request India to clarify her position on the Rohingya issue.”