Quader slams BNP over St Martin’s remarks

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has made an irresponsible statement about St Martin's.

Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, told journalists at the Awami League president's Dhanmondi office on Sunday that strict vigilance is being maintained along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Fakhrul on Saturday slammed the government for its "silent" role in the recent situation surrounding St Martin's Island, describing it as an expression of its knee-jerk foreign policy.

The Awami League government has never acted submissively and will not do so in the future either,” Quader said.

“Mirza Fakhrul Islam made an irresponsible statement. He spoke without diplomatic knowledge and strategy, which makes it seem like they have no understanding of the situation… the government is not inactive here. If attacked, the government is prepared to counterattack. Warships have already been withdrawn from there. Transportation has become regular again. We will not engage in conflicts unnecessarily.

“I want to tell Mirza Fakhrul, should we provoke a war with Myanmar? The whole world is turning into a battlefield. The government wants to resolve any problem through discussion. When the Rohingyas were infiltrating Bangladesh in groups, there were provocations from that side too, but we did not respond to the provocations. We have no intention of starting a war. The door for dialogue is still open.” 

Quader continued: “Sheikh Hasina's government is interested in resolving the issue through discussion. Visionary leader Sheikh Hasina knows how to handle the situation. Rumours are being spread on social media that the coral island St Martin’s is being occupied. The BNP and Jamaat are the ones spreading these rumours.”

The minister said that a few days ago, the BNP made irrelevant comments about tensions at the border. 

He added that those responsible, including the army, are on the alert. 

The politician said gunfire towards St Martin’s came from the Arakan Army, not the Myanmar government.

Quader said: “It was the BNP government that first issued Bangladeshi passports to Rohingyas who are now a burden on Bangladesh. Rohingyas have been used for militant activities.”

He said the main responsibility for the failure of the BNP's movement lies with the party's acting chairman in London, who is making appointments and removals remotely. “The internal democracy practice of BNP is neglected and reluctant, which has been proven today,” added the minister. 

Over 10,000 island residents have been facing food shortages following the suspension of vessel operations on the Teknaf-Saint Martin’s Island route, disrupted since February due to escalating violence in Myanmar. Frequent gunfire along the Teknaf border has further disrupted the movement of goods and people, causing panic among residents.

In such dire circumstances, a vessel arrived at St Martin’s on Friday, carrying 75 tons of food provided by the local administration and 150 tons of food from traders.