Dogged in pursuit

A highly sensitive country, Bangladesh, has justifiably reacted to a recent unsavoury comment by the US Ambassador Peter Haas. On May 31, 2022, he remarked that the United States has decided to put the issues of human rights and press freedom at the centre of its foreign policy and made no excuses about that question. Through such sweeping remarks, he meant that the US would not accept any excuses on these counts. He is now being questioned by the Bangladeshi media, what about the human rights and press freedom in Saudi Arabia, a long-time US ally, and Turkey, a NATO member?

It is becoming increasingly evident that the US is allegedly interfering in the internal matters of Bangladesh. Earlier, the US State Department had placed sanctions on a large number of police and paramilitary officials, to which the Bangladesh establishment has been protesting rather loudly. Now with elections just a year away, flexing of muscles or the use of "strong-arm tactics" has not augured well with the Bangladeshi media. In a column, in `The Daily Star', Mahfuz Anam, a well-known editor, penned a hard-hitting piece on May 31, questioning the US wisdom on its attacks on Bangladesh. He wrote, "Whenever, nationally or internationally, somebody roots for the free press, we journalists cheer. So, the US support for free media here in Bangladesh is music to our ears. However, we cannot forget that presidential candidate Donald Trump, in an interview with Scott Pelley in 2015, commented, Journalists were among the worst people he knows. After assuming power, in a Tweet, he had termed the news media "the enemy of the American people" (February 17, 2017). He thrashed every independent media in the country, singling out Fox News. So, 'The Daily Star' further questions "Would Ambassador Haas have said the same thing if he was representing Trump's administration and not President Biden's? Today, Trump's return in the next election is not ruled out. So, if it does happen—God forbid—then would the US follow the same policy on free press? Are we to believe that supporting free press in Bangladesh is the Biden administration's policy, and that it may change with the change of guards in the White House? Are we expected to tailor our internal policies to suit that of the US administration of the day?" This seems to be a frontal attack on the US State Department by the fearless Bangladesh press ahead of the elections. It also asks how can the US judge if an election is free and fair? Again, this is a cogent argument questioning US' credibility.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Haas' recent speeches delivered on March 31, April 24, May 10, 24 and 31, have left a lot to ponder. What perhaps brings the US geostrategic thinking home to Bangladesh is evidenced in his speech at an international conference titled "Moving Forward in the Indo-Pacific," held on March 31 at Independent University, Bangladesh. Ambassador Haas spelt out five key elements of the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy as "free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient." There is no problem with these key elements. It is in their elaboration where the real story lies. When the US ambassador says, "The people of the Indo-Pacific also want democracy and their human rights to be respected,"

It is pertinent to mention here that ever since opening up with China in 1971, the US-China relationship developed to become a crucial aspect of global stability and claimed to have contributed to worldwide prosperity. Since China was following the market economy and allowed foreign investment, especially from the US, the latter may have thought that, over time, China would dilute its centralised economic structure and become more a part of the capitalist world. Seeing that it is not happening, and becoming fearful of China's economic prowess and strides in technology, AI, biotechnology, etc., the US has decided — publicly from the time of President Trump — to take China on fully and is now busy galvanising global and regional support behind it. South Asia, with the specific rivalry between India and China, provides the US a fertile ground to consolidate its anti-China approach, now galvanised into the fast lane with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Bangladesh daily has thus explained well the fresh US initiatives to counter China.

According to this section of the media, it is this fast-moving and perilously confrontational world that Bangladesh must navigate. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to Mahfuz Anam, did a highly creditable job of taking Bangladesh's relationship with India to greater heights, and at the same time allowing Chinese investments in important sectors. India, with its own issues notwithstanding, has not allowed the exogenous forces to determine its relations with China. Their bilateral trade grew a whopping 43.3 per cent in 2021, reaching a total of USD 125.7 billion. This statement also merits study as India too addressed this delicate issue rather professionally

Whatever, a powerful segment of the Bangladesh print media has given vent to its thoughts rather candidly. It has signaled in a veiled manner that any US bossing over Bangladesh may incur the wrath of the people in general, as this developing nation is now in its 51st year, and soaring steadily.

The writer is a retired IPS officer, a security analyst and a former National Security Advisor to the PM of Mauritius. Views expressed are personal