74% deals with China, India, Russia signed under AL regimes

Foreign Affairs Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has told the parliament that 74% of the state’s agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and protocols with China, India and Russia has been signed during the Awami League regimes while only 16% during that of BNP’s. The minister revealed the information while responding to a query by Jatiya Party MP AKM Maidul Islam during Thursday’s question-answer session. Bangladesh has signed a total of 263 agreements, MoUs and protocols with China, India and Russia since the independence, of which 194 were done under AL government, 42 under BNP government, nine under Ershad-led government and eight under caretaker government, he said. India tops the list of such deals with 134 counts followed by China and Russia with 101 and 28 signings. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali also noted that the country signed its first agreement with China six years into the independence in 1977. Among the deals with China, four were signe during Ziaur Rahman’s rule, three during Ershad’s, 27 during Khaleda Zia-led BNP rule, five during the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government and 62 during the incumbent AL government. Among the deals with India, 11 were signed during Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led government, four during Ziaur Rahman-led government, six during Ershad-led government, five during Khaleda Zia-led BNP government, two during Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government and 106 during the present AL government. With russsia Russia, three were signed during Bangabandhu-led government, two during Khaleda-led government, one during Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker governmetn and 22 during AL government.