Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud commented that the main objective of BNP is to increase the price of goods besides destabilizing the country’s market by calling for boycott of Indian products.

The foreign minister made this comment in reply to the questions of the journalists after the speech of the chief guest at the coordination meeting related to the implementation of development activities of the government in Chittagong district at Chittagong Circuit House on Saturday afternoon.

Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud said that many products from consumer goods come from India in Bangladesh. We have thousands of kilometers of border with India. Some border trade also takes place legally. The main objective of BNP is to destabilize the country’s market and increase the price of goods by calling for boycott of Indian products. This will cause the suffering of the people in the country and increase the price of goods.

Addressing the BNP leaders, the foreign minister said, ‘You will eat onions from India, your leader will wear a saree from India, go for treatment in India, and you will call for boycott of Indian products. These are nothing but hypocrisy. The real objective of BNP is to increase the price of goods by destabilizing the market in the country.

Hasan Mahmud said, “Rizvi sahib burnt his own shawl along with those who called for the boycott of Indian products.” Actually, I don’t know whether he bought the shawl from India or Bangabazar.’

Responding to a question regarding rescue of ships and sailors held hostage by Somali pirates, the foreign minister said, ‘Last time when MV Jahan Moni was hijacked, it took a hundred days to free them. Now we are trying to free them as soon as possible. We are trying to rescue the sailors and ships staying here so that there is no damage.