Name: Senior Bangladesh minister on Sheikh Hasina’s future, India ties, and ‘secularism’ stance | BBC News
Uploaded: 2026-02-20T23:01:53.000Z
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Issue of Sheikh Hasina, will that become central to the development of ties between India and Bangladesh?

That will be any deterrent to the relationship between India and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh saw its historic national election earlier this month with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party winning a clear majority and forming the government.

The vote followed the Summer 2024 student led uprising that led to the ouster on of the Awami League government headed by Sheikh Hasina.

In Dhaka we spoke to Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir, one of BNP's senior most leaders recently sworn in as a cabinet minister.

Sir, thank you so much for giving us this time.

I want to begin by asking you the central question which is right now kind of dominating the whole conversation between India and Bangladesh which is the issue of Sheikh Hasina.

Now we know that the party has said that you are going to seek her extradition.

But I want to understand how will you do it differently because the interim government has been trying and they haven't had any luck so far.

To tell you frankly, we haven't worked out the modalities which you should follow regarding her extradition.

But what we mean to say that the verdict has been given by guys in the court here.

We want to develop our relationship with India and the friendship should be better if India also is progressing the same way and wants to have a better relationship with Bangladesh as a whole.

Because the entire Bangladesh nation wants that Sheikh Hussein should be expertise and she has been already convicted.

So she should face the court again, I mean for the execution of the verdict.

But now our new government and the relationship with the Indian government will determine that.

So I'm trying to understand whether the issue of Sheikh Hasina, will that become central to the development of ties between India and Bangladesh?

I don't think so that will be any deterrent to the relationship between India and Bangladesh.

Sincerely speaking, India is of the biggest neighbor and we have always wanted to have good relationships in India.

Unfortunately, I must say that it was India did not reciprocate in the same way we the BNP wanted it.

You're saying that Sheikh Hasina as an issue will not be allowed to dominate the ties.

And the ties will continue of course, whether there's a movement on Sheikh Husin or not.

Let's move on to the other Aspect, sir, the issue of secularism.

Now we understand that as part of the reforms and the July Charter, the plan is to have the preamble amended of the constitution.

And secularism, as a word gets out of that, is that true?

In fact, that's true because you have seen the theatre reforms which have been made public and in fact, in our constitution also in the past also we believe in the freedom of the religion.

In fact, in our constitution, the party constitution also doesn't have the word secularism.

We have the freedom of all the religions to perform their religions in their own way.

And we say that religion is a personal thing and people should be able to perform their religious activities as part their religion and it should never affect the state.

just to understand secularism is actually the separation of state and religion.

And I'm also asking, because you understand that this country has a population of a big population and 95% of the population is Muslim.

So we always try to at least honor the sentiment of the majority people that's there.

So then doesn't that mean that you are in that sense turning towards the majority and as a minority, maybe they don't, they don't feel very comfortable.

I think here in Bangladesh, everywhere, say for example in 2000, it's in 1975, when President Zia, as the president of the country and India had a very good relationship and the minority never failed.

And even you must probably have already known the fact that this time the minority committee has voted for BNP and they have hope, and

they have a lot of hope from you because we've also been talking to a lot of people we are determined to.

But many of them, sir, are uncomfortable about this issue, issue of, you know, biting.

We spoke to so many of them and they said that while the BNP is, and

I've seen it personally also, that in your manifesto you talk about the liberation war, you talk about 71 and.

And they say, members of the minority community, that we have had our people who sacrificed their lives and then we achieved this, the Constitution of 1972, whose preamble mentioned secularism.

So while you respect the 71 and the Liberation War, you don't respect the sentiments of that and your minorities feel very uncomfortable about it.

I don't think they will feel uncomfortable this time because we have a very good relationship with the minority.

You must try to understand that there are differences between wars and between these.

So we are now this time determined to ensure the security of the minority people here, their welfare, their freedom, and

their right to be placed in the proper place and equality in all respects.

So you're basically saying everything, but you're saying that we'll take away the secularism word.

The fourth Amendment, the fifth Amendment, all these things were.

So the new things will come out and you will understand that things will be there.

One final question on this issue is that minorities and violence against minorities did cast a very big shadow on India Bangladesh ties, especially in the last 18 months.

How will you ensure it doesn't happen during the BNP's regime?

The party itself now is completely taking serious steps for any such activities.

In fact, the party will ensure the security of the minorities.

The party will also be there to ensure the security of the monetary.

There will be zero tolerance for us from our part.

All right, let's move on to the other aspect.

Bangladesh, we see, especially in Indian politics, is occupying quite a lot of space.

We hear the word Bangladesh, we hear about Bangladeshis.

How do you, sitting in Dhaka, view the discourse around Bangladesh in India's politics?

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Senior Bangladesh minister on Sheikh Hasina’s future, India ties, and ‘secularism’ stance | BBC News

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