Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, spokesperson of National Citizen Party (NCP) and former advisor of Interim Government commented that BNPE and not the Interim Government signed the trade deal with the US. He said that the NCP feels that the responsibility has been placed on the interim government by signing the agreement before the elections with the current foreign minister Khalilur Rahman. Otherwise, Asif Mahmud urged BNP to review the agreement.
He raised these allegations in a press conference at the temporary central office of NCP at Rupayan Trade Center in Banglamotor in the capital on Tuesday.
Referring to the trade agreement with the United States, Asif Mahmud said, ‘We think that the agreement was made by BNP. But three days before the election, it has been put on the shoulders of the interim government by appointing their current foreign minister. Now saying that we have nothing to do with this agreement, the previous government did. A political blame game is going on.’
Earlier, in an interview given to a private television channel, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Interim Government M Tauhid Hossain claimed that neither he nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved in the trade agreement with the United States. He didn’t know about it.
In this regard, Asif said in a press conference, “When the previous foreign adviser does not know about the agreement, then we can say that Khalil Sahib (National Security Adviser of the Interim Government) is now the foreign minister of BNP, that means the agreement was actually made by Tarek Rahman.” If there is something else, then you review and cancel the contract. Any part of the agreement which may be harmful to Bangladesh or where you think it is in the interest of Bangladesh, let’s talk about our national interest, you should conduct necessary discussions to safeguard it.’
Asif claimed that the NCP was also not informed about the agreement. He said, ‘On February 9, three days before the elections, the agreement was made. As a result, I cannot officially know anything about the contract. Talking to everyone in the Jatiya Nagrik Party, I am sure that no one has taken the ‘concern’ of the Jatiya Nagrik Party about this agreement.
At this time, Asif Mahmud also spoke about the ‘kitchen cabinet’ of the interim government. In response to reporters’ questions, he said, ‘There was a kitchen cabinet. But I was not a member of it.’
Naseeruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the party, complained in the press conference that the police forces attacked him along with Chhatra Dal-Zubadal in Jhenaidah. He said, ‘We thought that those who attacked us were Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal and BNP. But that day we were able to discover that there was another force with them. That is the police team.’
NCP Global Diaspora Cell Head and Party Joint Member Secretary Alauddin Mohammad, Joint Member Secretary and Treasurer SM Saif Mostafiz and others were also present in the press conference.
