India owes Bangladesh an apology for backing Awami League: Nahid

National Citizen Party lawmaker and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam today said India should apologise for supporting the Awami League government over the past 16 years and for the abuses committed during its rule.

Speaking during the discussion on the proposed 2026-27 national budget in parliament, Nahid argued that Bangladesh’s relations with neighbours must be based on equality and mutual respect, but claimed India had yet to acknowledge its role in Bangladesh’s recent political history.

He criticised the newly appointed Indian high commissioner, saying that although the envoy had spoken positively about bilateral relations, India needed to go beyond rhetoric.

“The new Indian high commissioner should have begun by offering an apology. For 16 years, the Indian government directly and indirectly helped keep the Awami League in power, and it owes Bangladesh an apology for that,” he said.

Nahid added that India should also apologise for sheltering those responsible for massacres and the killers of Osman Hadi.

"It is the Awami League that is carrying out sabotage in Bangladesh,” he said.

Nahid said that since the BNP came to power, around 10 Bangladeshis had been killed along the border by India’s Border Security Force, while others had been pushed into Bangladesh after being labelled “illegal Bangladeshis.”

“The BNP has the word ‘nationalist’ in its name. We want to see how it acts to stop border killings,” he added.

Nahid urged the foreign ministry to respond firmly to provocative remarks by Indian leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who reportedly claimed that Bangladesh owed its creation to India and suggested the country should be “taught a lesson” similar to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

He emphasised Bangladesh’s struggle for independence and sovereignty, recalling sacrifices made in 2024 for a democratic, discrimination-free country. He called on the government to end corruption, implement the July Charter, and bring to justice those who laundered money and plundered the economy.

The NCP lawmaker called the new budget a “deficit budget,” cautioning that revenue targets were unrealistic. He identified three major challenges: creating employment, reforming the banking sector, and addressing electricity agreements that have driven up power prices.

He also criticised insufficient allocations for the defence sector.

“How can you democratise the economy if you do not democratise politics? Without political reform, without ensuring good governance, without implementing the July Charter, how will you achieve economic reform?” he asked, stressing the need for referendum, reforms, and accountability.