Taking a swipe at the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for its recent anti-Indian remarks, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday alleged that the BNP got to power in 2001 after giving undertaking to sell gas to India.
“Today, I hear them (BNP) making anti-Indian remarks. When a US company wanted to sell gas to India just before the national election in 2001, then Khaleda Zia put BNP into power through giving undertaking of selling gas. But, I didn’t give such undertaking as I then wanted to utilise the country’s resources for the welfare of the people,” she said.
The prime minister was addressing the National Council 2017 of Bangladesh Jubo Mohila (youth women) League in the capital Dhaka yesterday.
“We wanted that the country should have a reserve of gas for 50 years (of need) and only then it should be considered whether we would sell it or not,” she said.
Hasina said representatives of the neighbouring country’s intelligence agency used to sit at Hawa Bhaban, the alternate powerhouse of the then BNP government before the 2001 elections, though the party 
always talks against India.
The premier’s comments came after BNP leaders recently expressed their doubts about possible deals to be signed with India during the PM’s planned New Delhi tour in April. 
The prime minister said the 2001 elections were staged to completely defeat the Awami League and taking gas from Bangladesh. “But I said at that time they won’t get gas. That happened and they didn’t 
find gas”. 
The PM also said that Zia “forgot to raise the Ganges water issue with the then Indian government when she visited the neighbouring country as the prime minister after the 1991 elections”.
“She (Khaleda Zia) earlier talked against India and staged a long march demanding (equitable share) of the Ganges water, but when she visited India she forgot the issue,” the premier said.
It was the Awami League, the premier said, which realised the just share of the Ganges water from India on assuming power after 21 years and again it was the party which resolved the decades-long land boundary problem with India as no governments other than the Awami League ever took steps for 
solving the issue.
The prime minister said in an identical manner her government resolved the maritime boundary dispute with India and Myanmar as well while “no other governments except Awami League did take any initiative for solving the problem through discussion or lodging case”.
The premier posed a question why Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia did not raise the issue “if they were so patriotic”.
Hasina also recalled that BNP rather stood on the way of resolving problems like that of the signing of the landmark Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Agreement that drew an end to a more than two decades of insurgency in the southeastern rugged hills. 
“Those who could not bring anything from India now become very much anti-Indian … they played such games many times … they have no patriotism and power is a thing of 
enjoyment to them,” she said.
Hasina said the BNP is now talking about holding of free, fair and impartial election, but the party has no history about staging any polls in such a manner.
She said Ziaur Rahman grabbed power and declared himself as the president by violating constitution while BNP was founded by the illegal power usurpers.