DHAKA, Aug 13: Bangladesh has strongly protested against a provocative statement by a leading opposition leader of India, asking his government to attack Bangladesh.

“I demand that after taking the international community into confidence, India attack Pakistan to dismantle terrorist centres,” reportedly said president of Bahratiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajnath Singh, on Saturday.

“After taking the international community into confidence, India must attack Pakistan to dismantle terrorist centres...not only Pakistan, but Bangladesh should also be attacked where terrorist centres are operating without any hurdles,” the New Delhi-based Pioneer quoted the BJP president as saying on Saturday

The government of Bangladesh expressed shock at and surprise over the ‘outrageous and irresponsible’ public statement made by the BJP president, said a foreign ministry spokesman in Dhaka.

“The Bangladesh government is appalled at such outrageous comments and found them completely uncalled for and highly irresponsible as they came from the president of a leading political party in India,” Zahirul Haque, the director-general of the external publicity of the foreign ministry, told reporters on Sunday.

“Dhaka hopes that New Delhi would do everything possible to prevent such provocative comments and all concerned should refrain from outlandish and shocking suggestions,” Haque said.

The comment was deeply disturbing and worked against the cause of friendly relations between the two neighbours, the spokesman said.