Bangladesh should maintain balance with big powers: Experts

Diplomatic Correspondent :
As a geopolitically important and economically emerging country, Bangladesh has now become the centre of focus in this region, but it should maintain balance before taking steps with big powers in geopolitics, experts said.
The series of visits by the senior US officials to Bangladesh in recent times have drawn much attention to the diplomatic and the political landscapes as two big regional players – China and India – have their own interests centering the Indo-Pacific region.
Experts said that America has its own interest in this region and it has already formed an alliance in this region where India is a partner in the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).
Bangladesh, however, has made it clear that they would not join any alliance if it is used for military purposes.
“Regarding IPS, Bangladesh has made it clear that if it is an economic alliance, it will join. But if it works for military alliance, it will stay away from it,” Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, Professor of Department of International Relations of Dhaka University told the New Nation on Tuesday.
About the US interest in Bangladesh, he said, “To me, America has a desire to get engaged with Bangladesh to supply sophisticated military technology. But Bangladesh does not need such technology as the country does not have any enemy here.”
Regarding the series of US high officials’ visits to Bangladesh, he said, “Such visits indicate US government’s more engagement with Bangladesh as Bangladesh is doing better amid global crisis, pandemic and a sanction on RAB.”
About the visit of Counselor of the U.S. Department of State Derek Chollet, he said, “The US is focusing more on the Rohingya and Myanmar issue. As America has declared that Myanmar’s military has committed genocide against the Rohingya, they will make their position clear in this regard.”
The recent visits of a number of high officials of US administration including Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, certain issues including democracy, human rights, elections, IPS, security, trades, Rohingya and RAB’s sanctions have resonated.
About Derek Chollet’s visit, the US State Department on its website on Tuesday said, “Counselor Derek Chollet will lead a US delegation to Bangladesh and Pakistan February 14-18 to meet with senior government officials, civil society members, and business leaders to highlight the importance of our bilateral partnership and reaffirm our countries’ shared goals.”
It also said that Counselor Chollet will be joined by Clinton White, Counselor of the US Agency for International Development, and Elizabeth Horst, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US Department of State, and, in Bangladesh only, Beth Van Schaack, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice.
In Bangladesh, the delegation will meet with senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss coordination and response to the Rohingya refugee crisis, strengthening cooperation in international fora, and advancing the security partnership between the United States and Bangladesh, it added.
Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said, “The purpose of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and government-to-government ties with an elevated focus on the Rohingya humanitarian response.”
During the visit, the US delegation will call on the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.
He will have a meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday to discuss the priority issues of Bangladesh.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Derek Chollet, who is the Counselor to Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, was received by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.