Failures of Bangladesh’s foreign policy
Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
The concept of diplomacy and the role of diplomats are not properly evaluated by many political leaders in our country. Since diplomacy is a means of communicating in foreign relations it would be fair to analyse the need and objectives of foreign policy of a state. Sir Ernest Satow in his book: the diplomatic practice defines diplomacy as the application of intelligence and tact to conduct foreign relations. India, close door neighbor of Bangladesh which fought with freedom fighters of East Pakistan to liberate East Pakistan from the clutches of Pakistan, formal instrument of surrender was signed by General Niazi of Pakistan army to the joint command of India and Bangladesh on 16 December in 1971 when a new country emerged as Bangladesh. It is a fact of history that Bangladesh remains grateful to India for liberating itself from the clutches of Pakistan. As a matter of fact, former East Pakistan and West Pakistan were 1257 miles apart: between them lies India. Geographically, the two wings of the former Pakistan were verily divergent.
Since independence of Bangladesh as of now India did not share water resources from 54 transboundary rivers appears to be one of the most vexed and intractable issues in the bilateral issues since 1972. As a matter of fact, Bangladesh comprises a low-lying alluvial delta with a high season of rain falls. As of now one agreement with sharing of water from the Ganges is expected to expire in 2026. The Bangladesh government, time and again, tried to receive its due share of water from the Teesta River but did not succeed in spite of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly saying, “Our rivers should nurture our relations, not become a source of discord”. But this has not been reflected as of now. Sharing of waters from the transboundary border remains contentious. As of now, the joint river commission (JRC) did not hold a meeting to resolve the problem of sharing waters from transboundary rivers. On 6 September, 2022 India agreed to share waters from one of the transboundary border rivers Kushiara but not Teesta. As a matter of fact, Kusiyara River belongs to Sylhet in Bangladesh. This was decided during official talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to increase trade relations between the two countries. Incidentally, four-day visit to India this time possibly related to ensuing Parliamentary election in Bangladesh next year to receive overwhelmingly minority votes. This is What Voice of America (VOA) thought during the broadcast on 6 September 2022.
Trade plays to develop the economy between the two countries significantly. India in fact enjoys respect for expansion of trade. Ironically India’s export to Bangladesh stands at $ 8.2 billion whereas imports from Bangladesh stand at $ 1.2 billion. It means India is much ahead of Bangladesh. Garment industries in fact in Bangladesh have succeeded beyond imagination. Garment industries in Bangladesh succeed in the third position in the world since Workers in garment factories are not well paid in comparison with the world market.
Bangladesh in fact gave birth to South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on 5th December in 1980 which had gone down as eventful and fruitful years for institutionalizing the concept of SAARC but now SARRC is dead as a result of conflict with Pakistan by India. AS of now there is no serious effort by Bangladesh to revive SARRC. Incidentally this writer worked tirelessly for organizing cultural shows for seven SAARC countries as Director in Osmani Memorial auditorium in Paltan in cooperation with Shilpakala academy headed by Professor Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal.
Bangladesh is having intractable problems with Myanmar since Tatmadaw of Myanmar forcibly drove out Rohingya minority citizens from their houses in Raykhan state who were citizens of Burma while casting votes to elect their representatives, apart from serving in the military, police, apart from serving in the government. Burmese government in 1982 citizenship act took away citizenship of Rohingya without rhyme and reason. Since then government of Bangladesh has been maintaining good political relations with India, China and Japan. These countries should pressure Myanmar to take back their citizens. As of now, Bangladesh could not succeed to pressure these countries to resolve the crisis of Rohingya. Recently tension scaled afresh along Bangladesh and Myanmar border as border forces exchanged gun fires while on September 16 a Rohingya boy was killed, and five others injured as a result of mortar shell fired by Myanmar army while another boy was seriously injured in a land mine explosion. It seems that the situation on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border has become risky in order to escape Rohingya. The government of Bangladesh should pursue vigorously with the United Nations to take back the citizens who lived in Burma for a few generations. It is not enough to say by the United Nations that Rohingyas are the most persecuted minority in the world. The main purpose of the United Nations is to resolve the crisis, not to hang with the crisis.
(The writer is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh, former Joint-Director of Central Kochi-kachar Mela and former President of Nova Toastmaster International club of America, writes From Falls Church, Virginia).
