Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said the Bangladesh and India are maintaining smoother, warmer and more futuristic relations than any time in the past.

“With her diplomatic efficiency, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has built a relation of trust between the two neighbouring countries to cooperate with each other to take ahead the mutual development,” he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while addressing a review meeting on Sunday on the progress of the under-implementation projects in Bangladesh under the Indian Lines of Credit.

He joined it through videoconferencing from his official residence on parliament premises in Dhaka.

Outgoing High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam and concerned officials joined it virtually.

Describing Bangladesh and India as trusted and time-tested friends, the minister said if friendly relations and people to people connectivity exist between two next-door neighbours, many unresolved bilateral issues can be solved easily.

Settlement of enclaves, land boundary and maritime issues and taking up initiatives for resolving other issues between Bangladesh and India are the examples of that, he added.

Pointing to the ministry officials concerned with projects under the Indian Lines of Credit (LoC), Quader said it is taking much time to begin the projects under LoC for different reasons.

Completion of necessary preparations, including survey, consent of Indian authorities, concurrence of Indian EXIM Bank and activities of Bangladesh side are taking much time than expected, he added.

The minister urged the officials concerned to give special importance to taking ahead the projects under LoC as these are connected to the friendly relations between the two countries and mutual progress.

About the BNP’s allegation that the government is giving wrong account of coronavirus (Covid-19) positive cases, the AL general secretary said BNP is alleging that the government has dropped the names of 82,000 patients from the statistics of Covid-19 patients but “I want to know what is the benefit of the government in doing so”.

 “We want to say that you (BNP) give the list of the 82,000 patients whose names have been dropped. There will be no benefit to beat around the bush,” he said.

Quader said BNP’s traditional political culture is to make falsehood as the party’s politics is dependent on conspiracy, carrying out killings and terrorism.

BNP is out to make evil attempts to make an issue over any matter as they are now getting nothing to make their usual falsehood, he added.

The minister said the people want to know from where BNP’s responsible leaders are getting such strange and imaginary information of hiding the names of 82,000 patients, when everything is open in the era of technological advancement.

Making welfare of the country and its people is not in BNP’s dictionary and practice and therefore, it is now doing politics capitalizing on only falsehood, he added.

On the occasion, Quader extended birthday greetings to Sheikh Rehana, younger daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

During the crisis period after the assassination of Bangabandhu and most of his family members on August 15, 1975, Sheikh Rehana stayed beside Awami League leaders and workers from behind the scene.

She worked as a co-warrior of Bangabandhu’s elder daughter Sheikh Hasina from behind the curtain, he added.

The AL general secretary wished a long and healthy life for Sheikh Rehana on her birthday.