00:00So for long, Bangladesh politics was shaped by two strong women leaders, Khalid Azia and Sheikh Hasina.
00:06And incidentally, both these leaders won't be around for the next election.
00:10And to discuss this issue, I'm being joined by Rashid Uzzaman Milat, Treasurer of BNP and former MP from Dhaka.
00:18Welcome to India Today Global, sir.
00:21Thank you very much.
00:23First of all, condolences for the BNP's loss and also for the loss of people of Bangladesh.
00:28You have lost a tall leader, Begum Khalid Azia.
00:31Let me begin by asking you, how prepared is BNP for this setback and for the upcoming elections?
00:40Yeah, thank you very much.
00:44I want to tell you that this moment of profound national grief, Bangladesh has lost a towering political figures.
00:58whose life was deeply intervened with the country's modern history.
01:05As you said before, Begum Khalid Azia was not just a former prime minister of the party and our chairperson.
01:15She was a symbol of religion, dignity, and the democratic struggle.
01:22You understand that by losing her, what mentality we are having now, especially the Bangladeshi people and our party.
01:36It's really, really, we are shocked.
01:40By this time, the government has declared the three days of the state mourning over the passing of our former prime minister
01:52and BNP chairperson, Begum Khalid Azia.
01:56At the same time, BNP also has taken an own program with hosting the black flag and the national party flag all over the country where we have all the offices.
02:13The diplomats from the various countries has already came to the chairperson's office and signed the convulence book.
02:23And the BNP chairperson's office was full of the diplomats, the elites, and the provenient figures.
02:31Even Prime Minister of India has also expressed his...
02:33Yeah, this is from outside, but the inside, all the political parties, those who are not BNP,
02:46this all parties leader, they have shown their condolence and they came to party office
02:56and they signed in the condolence book for the mother of democracy.
03:02Indeed, she was a very tall leader of Bangladesh, but Mr. Millat,
03:05how does BNP view India's gesture of sending its external affairs minister, Dr. S. Jayshankar, to Khalid Azia's janaza funeral tomorrow?
03:15Yeah, this...
03:17We really appreciate that our neighbouring country and a lot of the diplomats and your...
03:28the minister is coming to join in the janazah.
03:32So the huge janazah will be hailed as the...
03:37You know, the President Riyar Rahman, when he was assassinated,
03:44then the janazah was the highest janazah...
03:47You can say, this was such a big gathering that ever not happened in the world.
03:59At the same time, we hope that all of your foreign ministers and the other...
04:06from the other country also, there are people coming.
04:10And this government, interim government, all of the members will be there and...
04:17But Mr. Millat, let's talk about the prevailing situation also.
04:21Because recently we have seen...
04:22Yeah, recently we have seen increase in violent incidents in Bangladesh.
04:26How assured are you about the fairness of the election
04:28and what are your expectations from the interim administration
04:31to ensure a free and fair election in Bangladesh?
04:36Yeah, this is a separate issue today
04:38because, you see, we are in such a position
04:43and we are really shocked by losing our chairperson
04:48and become Khalid Jaya.
04:51Still, you ask for the questions that...
04:54how this interim government will perform the coming elections.
05:01I hope they are preparing themselves.
05:05Although the interim government couldn't perform
05:11the situation of our...
05:18what I should say,
05:22the law and order situation was not that good.
05:26But still, we are thinking
05:30that people are, you know,
05:34waiting for the elections for the last 17 years
05:37and they are taking the measures themselves
05:41that they will go for poll stations
05:43and they will have their own security...
05:49Sure, people are having great expectations
05:51from these elections.
05:52Nice to...
05:52Yeah.
05:53But Mr. Miller...
05:54A poll after 17 years.
05:55Mr. Tariq Rahman, when he landed in Dhaka
05:57on 25th of December,
05:59Mr. Tariq Rahman has said
06:01that he has come to Dhaka with a plan.
06:03So, what is BNP's plan?
06:06What is Mr. Tariq Rahman's plan
06:07to revitalize party as well as country?
06:09It's not actually the time to explain all these things.
06:17Still, as you asked from that,
06:21the Tariq Rahman,
06:22whenever he stepped in Bangladesh,
06:26you see whole Bangladesh was, you know, vibrating.
06:30And the Bangladeshi people were expecting
06:34this kind of leader,
06:36which comes after decades and decades,
06:41such as the Khamenei,
06:44such as the...
06:46or Fidel Castro
06:51and this Kalu,
06:56the black...
06:58Nelson Mandela.
07:01And even all this...
07:03Obviously, this will be tested in the election
07:05that, you know,
07:06how these promises are delivered.
07:07Thank you very much, Mr. Millat.
07:08I'm running short of time.
07:10Thank you very much for your time
07:11and I appreciate your presence on my show.
07:13Thank you very much.
07:14And I thank you very much.
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