Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has claimed that BNP is spreading 'misleading' information over Bangladesh-India agreement on connectivity as they are 'unable to understand' the issue of regional connectivity.

“The operation of trains between Bangladesh and Bhutan via India will benefit our    people . . .  but they (BNP) are now doing politics of spreading misleading information against the government (over it),” he said, reports BSS.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said this while addressing a discussion titled ‘Sheikh Hasina’s balanced foreign policy and Bangladesh’s internal development’ organized by the Weekly Gana Bangla and Swadhinata Parishad at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Thursday.

Noting that Bangladesh has signed several MoUs with India to enhance the connectivity, he said connectivity will also be established with Nepal. “We are working to expand the regional connectivity to other countries in the South Asia,” the foreign minister said.

Criticising BNP leaders’ misleading remarks over Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India, Hasan said their statements have failed to draw public attention.  Failing to wage movements with its own capacity, he said, BNP has turned into a parasite party by depending on others’ movements on different issues, including universal pension scheme and quota system in government jobs.

About Bangladesh foreign policy, Hasan said Bangabandhu’s worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is running the country following Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s foreign policy of ‘friendship to all, malice to none’. “We have good relations with Russia, China and India while India is our trusted friend. India's cooperation during our Liberation War in 1971 will remain written in golden letters in the history,” he said.

Highlighting the country’s development and progress, the foreign minister said many countries are now investing in Bangladesh witnessing the country’s unprecedented development.

Jagannath University former vice-chancellor Prof Mizanur Rahman and Awami League leaer Balaram Podder addressed the discussion as special guests while valient freedom fighter Sofiqul Bahar Majumder Tipu and Lion Mosiur Ahmed, also spoke at the event, among others.  MA Karim presided over the discussion.