By IANS,
Dhaka : Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty Monday alleged that 25,000 among the Bangladeshi nationals visiting India every year do not return home.
Speaking at a seminar on ‘Bangladesh-India Economic Relations’, he claimed the number of Bangladeshis illegally staying in India would be even higher as many go unrecorded.
“More than 25,000 holding legal visas have not returned every year. In fact, the long lines that you see outside the high commission, I challenge you please go and have a look, 80 percent of them are not legal visa seekers. They are brokers,” Chakravarty said.
Bangladesh Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, who attended the seminar, did not oppose the Indian envoy’s remark, Star Online reported.
Chakravarty is already in the eye of a political storm here over his June 3 observations about the ongoing controversy over a dam India plans to build over Barak river that is common to the two South Asian neighbours.
He had called those protesting against the project as “so-called experts”, saying that they lacked the basic data about the project.
Protesting his remarks, made in the presence of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanded his “immediate withdrawal.”
The BNP said his criticism amounted to “interference” in Bangladesh’s internal affairs.
The envoy’s effigy was burnt outside the Indian high commission office earlier this month.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry co-organised the seminar.
Opening the seminar, Faruk Khan said: “Political will is the key to increasing trade between India and Bangladesh.”
The Indian trade delegation urged the Bangladesh government to further strengthen bilateral relationship for economic development of the countries.
Khan said: “We have very small problems about the heritage, border firing and non-tariff barriers. I am absolutely sure these all can be removed with one political decision, that is called political will.”