‘Does BNP want to come to power by selling St Martin’s Island?’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today questioned whether BNP wants to come to power by giving guarantee to sell St Martin’s Island.

“BNP came to power in 2001 by giving the undertaking to sell gas. Now they want to sell the country. Or do they want to come to power by undertaking to sell St Martin’s Island?” she said.

The PM was addressing a press conference arranged at the Gono Bhaban over the outcomes of her recent visits to Switzerland and Qatar.

Hasina said she is the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and does not want to come to power by selling any resource of the country.

“Now if I say that I will lease out St Martin’s Island or our country, there will also be no problem for me to stay in power. I know that,” she said.

But the PM said she would not allow anyone to play with the fate of the people of Bangladesh.

“We’ll not allow any act like carrying out terrorist activities in any place or attacking anyone by using the land of my country,” she added.

“We believe in peace. We believe in peaceful cooperation,” said PM Hasina, adding that Bangladesh didn’t engage in quarrels with Myanmar even after some 11 lakh Myanmar refugees took shelter in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh continues negotiation with Myanmar on the issue, she said, adding that her government believes in the policy “friendship to all and malice towards none”.

“We didn’t go for engaging in fights or quarrels with them [Myanmar],” said the prime minister.

Hasina visited Qatar from May 22 to 25 to attend the Qatar Economic Forum-2023 and visited Switzerland from June 13 to 16 to join the “World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All,” a summit of ILO.