BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has urged India to end what he described as “high-handed behaviour” toward Bangladesh and instead maintain a friendly and cooperative relationship.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during a visit to the Mahananda River rubber-dam project area in Chapainawabganj, Fakhrul said a free and fair election is essential to stabilising the country’s political situation.

He said Bangladesh has repeatedly raised the water-sharing issue with India, “but New Delhi has shown little interest.” If BNP forms the next government through elections, he added, the party will make the highest effort to secure Bangladesh’s fair share of transboundary river waters.

Fakhrul argued that an elected government, backed by public support, is better positioned to defend national interests and negotiate such matters effectively.

He also called on India to maintain a cooperative approach toward Bangladesh, saying people’s livelihoods have been affected due to India “holding back the flow of the Padma River.”

“The core problem lies in the distribution of the Padma’s waters. Without an elected government, it becomes very difficult to secure such national interests,” he added.

Fakhrul said a future BNP government would prioritise resolving the Padma and Teesta water-sharing issues, as well as longstanding concerns over the Farakka Barrage.

A BNP rally titled “Save the Padma” is scheduled to begin at 2 pm on Saturday at the Nawabganj Government College ground, where Mirza Fakhrul is set to address party supporters.