Jagpa vice-president and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan alleged that the Awami League was directly responsible and India indirectly responsible for what he described as killings in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday as chief guest after a Jagpa protest rally from Bijoynagar to the Press Club, held against India’s alleged dominance and its reported two-year sheltering of “killer Hasina” with state honours.

Pradhan said the Indian government had used the Awami League to turn Bangladesh into a tributary state and now wanted to use the BNP after the Awami League’s defeat following the July uprising. He alleged that the Awami League and India were responsible for incidents at Pilkhana, Shapla Chattar, the anti-Modi movement and July. He also said Bangladeshi politicians feared speaking against Indian dominance because of hopes for power.

He accused India of border killings, illegal push-ins, withholding Bangladesh’s fair share of water from 54 shared rivers, and interfering in domestic politics and national elections. Pradhan also alleged a plot to destabilise Bangladesh through the Awami League from Delhi. Several Jagpa leaders addressed the event.