External Relations And Army’s Role In Politics Of Bangladesh
By M Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury
07 January, 2015
Countercurrents.org
An external relation has been playing one of the major roles in politics of Bangladesh. To make it clear, international actors’ are very active there. In other words, Bangladesh has been an example where politics and international relations work together with evidence. It is obvious that the country gave its birth due to denial of democracy. The endless struggle for democracy still continues. The Western world and India are not only playing major role in Bangladesh politics but also they have their opinion for military rule in this territory as well. Since independence external relations are very much effective in this 8th largest country in the world. India, known as the largest democracy, surrounded Bangladesh in three sides. The only super power America matters in formulation of various policies in Bangladesh. Asian country Japan, an economic giant of the world, is the largest development partner of Bangladesh. The world’s largest nation China, situated in Asia, is also a big seller of arms and ammunitions to Bangladesh. Russia, a country located mostly in Asia and also covered Europe, has been building nuclear power plant at ‘Rooppur’ in the country. Earlier it purchased Mig 29 from the then Soviet Union, now Russia.
Liberation war and Army started their journey in Bangladesh simultaneously. Track record shows, Army was involved in all kind of changeovers there since 1971, when the country came into being through its liberation war. During the liberation war, the government in exile worked from India. Expatriate Bangladeshis vigorously worked from the United Kingdom-UK for the cause of independence. British parliamentarians supported the cause of Bangladeshis freedom struggle strongly. Following the changeover of 1975, the United States of America-USA and part of Western world with China recognised Bangladesh. In 1982, India welcomed the changeover through Army coup in the country. Prior to fall of Ershad regime in 1990, top leaders of two rival political parties used to meet American Ambassador in Dhaka frequently. They had been parleying with visiting American diplomats to start with democracy. Thus Western world and Army’s role were visible in all changeovers.
During 1971 war the USA wanted to send 7th fleet of its naval force to Bangladesh in favour of Pakistan when it was fighting against its previous country. Immediate after the independence, Bangladesh was in Soviet bloc. Bangladesh signed 25 years friendship treaty with India after independence. Then India had another treaty of similar kind with the Soviet Union. After the regime change in 1975, Bangladesh joined American and Chinese bloc. Recently Bangladesh received more areas through UN courts in its Bay of Bengal from Myanmar and India, which has been disputed for long time. It may be mentioned, Bangladesh is located in an important strategic location of South Asia, where India and China’s eyes are open. As this century is for Asia, especially for South Asia, the USA is also very keen for this region and thereby for Bangladesh due to obvious reason. World’s one-fifth population lives in South Asia. Hence, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation-SAARC can be made a strong institute to harness the World’s this important area’s potential.
It is widely believed that in Bangladesh governance, the Western world and India’s influence matter. Following the military takeover by Lt. General Moeen U. Ahmed on 11 January 2007, former World Bank official Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed was appointed the head of the government the next day, where the reason was to show that they received foreign powers support. In order to establish the same idea the military authority tried to make Bangladeshi noble laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus the governmental head. Until eighties Bangladeshi military governments were backed by the western countries. Then there was a bi-polar world. However, usually in the present uni-polar world military takeover is unlikely.
India helped Bangladesh in liberation war. On some occasions, India proposed name of Army Chief prior to announcement of such new appointment in Bangladesh. That indicates that India has a say even on military affairs of Bangladesh. In addition, during surrender of Pakistani Army on 16 December 1972 following victory of Bangladesh’s liberation war Commander-in Chief General M. A. G. Osmani was not allowed to attend the ceremony. Later arrested all Pakistani Army personnel were released, pardoned and repatriated through Simla tri-party agreement under Indian initiative.
Bangladesh signed TICFA agreement with USA in 2013. Previously it signed another treaty called SOFA. China made a number of bridges in Bangladesh out of friendship and Japan also built airport, EPZ and other infrastructures. Korea invested in EPZ. It is estimated that more than three million Bangladeshi people live in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-KSA. Approximately seven million Bangladeshis live in Middle Eastern countries. More than ten million Bangladeshis live and work outside the country including the US, UK and other European and Middle Eastern countries. Foreign remittance is one of the major sources of Bangladeshi wealth. Participation in UN Peace Keeping Force earns a good amount for defence and police people of Bangladesh as the country is pioneer for this mission.
Third generation Bangladeshi are doing well in Western countries such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and some European countries. Last year at amid allegation of alleged corruption attempt, the World Bank suspended financing in the biggest development project ‘Padma Bridge’ in Bangladesh, which eventually led to withdrawal of loan proposal by the host country. Consequently, Bangladesh began the project with its own money. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, indicating the US, recently commented ‘if one country does not support us, there are many countries around the World’. Earlier she remarked that she did not honour request of the US Secretary of State John Kerry and the UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in stopping Kader Molla’s death sentence on his alleged involvement of war crime in 1971. PM and AL President Sheikh Hasina also informed that US State Department stopped World Bank funding to ‘Padma Bridge’. However, America refused this allegation. Besides, present government received assistance from Japan for the development projects by extending its support for the country’s candidature in the UN Security Council and withdrawn Bangladesh’s nomination. Similarly it gave projects to China, Russia, Korea, Malaysia and the UAE. On the other hand, rest of the world including Western world do not support the 2014 election and thereby the present government. Due to this reason, the government has been facing image crisis. Therefore, the PM is visiting some countries and pursuing diplomacy through international relations. Likewise, an alliance namely 20 Parties comprising mainstream opposition political parties led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia are also pursuing their diplomacy with the UN, the USA, the UK and other development partners and countries. Thus both politics and international relations go side by side.
Bangladesh saw the end of military rule in 1990 through a mass upsurge. Since then it has been argued that possibilities of military intervention are very unlikely in the country. Some Bangladeshi political parties took advantage of this. They organised destructive political programmes such as blockade, demonstration with indigenous weapons namely ‘Logi-Boitha’ (Paddle-Stick), which created such a situation for military intervention with their (military) instigation as well that coincided their both individual and corporate interests (Chowdhury 2013). Due to this reason initially a large number of people welcomed the military intervention in 2007. A group of army worked behind the scene since 2002 by doing ‘clean heart operation’ under democratic regime (Asian Human Rights Commission 2002). Since then overtly or covertly army is backing the government to run the country. Later the force managed 2008 and 2014 disputed elections and keeping the government in power by suppression, oppression, killing, abducting and using arms by the government and political machinery. In the changed global scenario with threat of losing the prevailing facilities for army personals in UN Peace Keeping Force the scope of coup has been very thin and risky. The Economist (2007) headlined 'the coup that dare not speak its name', 'the army, not the politicians now runs Bangladesh'. 2007 coup was an exception and unique due to its failure in achieving its main target of army chief’s becoming president even after two years of absolute army rule and due to its safe landing by handing over power through an arranged and ‘disputed’ election controlled by army. Thus the changeover in 2007 brought initially Army and eventually Awami League to power.
On the eve of military coup in 2007, it was seen that the foreign diplomats’ posted in Bangladesh exercise excessive power. It helped to create lawlessness in the country, in fact, that helped military leaders to capitalise the created situation in their favour. There was a diplomatic club in Bangladesh comprises foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka namely the Tuesday group was over active. Canadian High Commissioner Barbara Richardson, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury, who was of Bangladeshi origin and European Union’s over publicised role also helped Army Chief to implement his mission. EU could not show that whatever they were doing that was in favour of democracy. Australian High Commissioner Douglas Fosket showed that his country was committed to democracy. The Bangladeshi Army group recorded some activities of foreign diplomats including US Ambassador’s personal activities, reportedly, to blackmail then.
With Western contradictory role and too much involvement in Bangladesh politics with no direction, the Army Chief Lt. Gen. Moeen U Ahmed declared the State of Emergency He forced the President of Bangladesh Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed to promulgate this at gun point. Then the Western world including the US and the UK were against military takeover and in favour of democracy. The military chief managed India, but it could not act openly due to the US’s objection. UN resident Coordinator in Dhaka Renata Lok Dessallien took Moeen’s side. She issued a letter what was sought by Moeen, That helped him to takeover although the UN Secretary General and UN Headquarters played the role in favour of democracy (Chowdhury 2014).
Renata helped directly and western world’s role helped Moeen indirectly to capture the power. Finally the State of Emergency was declared and democracy was abrogated, the process of which was started in 1991. It has been argued that America did nothing to stop it. It gave only leap service, maintained liaison with all the contested parties, showed that they were in favour of democracy. But the end result is they did not do anything against military takeover. They probably made them agree to hold an election but the army held the election in such a way that AL comes to power. America knew about Indian role. Evidence wise, India supported the army with supplying forces recently, for instance, a massacre was done in Satkhira jointly, intelligence gives service over DGFI, and for example, they are advising who will be Army Chief in Bangladesh. As opposition claims, the country is helping with money and intelligence reports. Regardless which party in power in India they help Awami League in Bangladesh and the relation is not country to country, but country to party.
Regarding the role of think-tank of the USA, former ambassador to Bangladesh William B. Milam supported last army rule in a way by saying the politicians created the crisis. Critics argue about the mindset of the American, when another former ambassador Harry K Thomas was also not happy with immediate past government in Bangladesh. However, Harry has his own argument in this regard. Last US Ambassador Dan W. Mozena visited India and discussed Bangladesh issues with Indian government as he was assigned. An Indian lobby wants that USA should maintain relation with Bangladesh through them, which has not been accepted by the only superpower. British government’s decision to issue visas on Bangladeshis passports in New Delhi created another issue among Bangladeshis as there are strong anti-Indian sentiments in Bangladesh for abovementioned reasons. In latest instance, India helped Awami League to continue in power with an election, organised by DGFI, by passing major political parties (Chowdhury 2014).
Defying visible role of the Western world at the end Army Chief took over, ruled the country for two years and made all efforts to become the President of the country and extended his tenure for one year and prior to his retirement. Consequently he could escape through handing over power to the Awami League with an arrangement of a managed election. The military continues playing their role so that the government remains in power since then. As a result, the western world’s role against military intervention became only a leap service.
Since 2007 Bangladesh followed same policy during the Army and Awami League regimes. Both elections in 2008 and 2014 were, reportedly, conducted by Army with help from India. In 2014, the UN envoy Oscar Farnandez- Taranco was told by the AL leaders including Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu that there will be another election soon after the election of 5 January. They told for the sake of continuity of constitutional rule they had to follow, which was compared by them with March 1988 and February 1966 one sided elections. Another senior AL leader Finance Minister of AL government Abul Maal Abdul Muhit said, 5 January election was a third class election and they will hold another good election soon. The UN was blackmailed there. India requested the USA, the UN and other Western countries to allow the election to be held saying there will be another election soon after the so called one sided election boycotted by opposition parties. Followed by the election, India said it is Bangladesh’s internal affairs. By the time, government has been changed and policy remained. President of India Pranab Mukherjee and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran remained and they have say on this. It is reported that in Bangladesh intelligence Indian intelligence people are working in some good positions. In Satkhira, Indian forces made a massacre with Bangladesh government securities help in 2014.
In conclusion, Bangladeshi politicians did not take lesson from history. As far as military intervention is concerned, it has been argued that history repeats itself in Bangladesh (International Crisis Group, 2013), when it is inevitable.
M Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury is a London-based Researcher as well as Independent Analyst in Politics and International Relations. A Career Journalist Mukhles Chowdhury is a Former Minister and Adviser to the President of Bangladesh. Former President of Overseas Correspondents’ Association Bangladesh (OCAB) Mukhles Chowdhury has been working as the Chief Editor of the Bangladesh Worldwide and the Weekly Prekshit as well. Email: [email protected]
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