[Maruf]

One of the U.S. lawmakers has informed that America is ready to build a strategic relationship with Bangladesh due to former's important geo-strategic location and vast Muslim population. At the same time, he informed that most of the leading lawmakers of the U.S. don't even know Bangladesh. I find it hard to believe that U.S. is ready elevate the current relation with Bangladesh to strategic level when most of the lawmakers are even unaware of the existence of Bangladesh.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/03/21/d70321013317.htm

Washington for strategic ties with Dhaka for best use of its location
Says Congressman Weldon
Staff Correspondent

The US wants to build strategic relation with Bangladesh to utilise the crucial geographical and demographical position of the country.

"Bangladesh has so many positive things, but unfortunately, the US doesn't have any strategic relation with the country," visiting US Congressman Curt Weldon said yesterday adding that from both demographical and geographical perspectives, Bangladesh is of high strategic importance to the US.

The member of the US House of Representatives was talking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club organised by Global Alliance for Homeland Security (GAHS), Asian Regional Chapter.

At the invitation of GAHS, Weldon and seven others came to Dhaka on Monday.

Stressing the need for building strategic relation between the two countries, Weldon said, "As we concentrate on Pakistan and India, why don't we pay attention to Bangladesh when she has significant achievements in various aspects."

The US Congressman also gave assurance that he along with his colleagues would muster support for duty-free access for Bangladeshi products to the US market. "The US should import all the products from Bangladesh that she imports from other countries," he added.

Hailing the ongoing drive against corrupt politicians and others, Weldon expressed hope that a fair and free election would be held in Bangladesh eventually.

Bangladesh is also important to the US because it is probably the only country in the world that has democracy with a Muslim majority population, he noted.

"This is an exciting country with exciting people," Weldon said adding, "We are overwhelmed with the emotion of the people of Bangladesh."

The US congressman apologised that most of his colleagues is unaware of Bangladesh. "Out of 535 congressmen, probably 98 percent doesn't know about this beautiful country."

Replying to another question, Weldon said that democracy in US is not perfect always. "We have many imperfections, many of our people are not happy with the government policy."

Timothy D Ringgold, a US defence expert, Maj General (retd.) Ron Bath, Asef Bari, co-chair of GAHS, among others, addressed at the press conference.

WELDON MEETS BUSINESSMEN

Visiting US Congressman Curt Weldon termed the ongoing changes in Bangladesh 'healthy' for the country's democracy.

He also noted that political leadership is extremely important for guiding a nation.

Weldon was speaking at a meeting with the country's business leaders at the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) office.

The objective of the visiting US mission is to promote investment in Bangladesh apart from assisting the local government and private enterprises to improve their operations and security against terrorism.

Also the former vice-chair of the Armed Services Committee and House of Homeland Security Committee, Weldon said that having a good relationship between the militaries of the two countries is important at the moment.

The US congressman observed that democracy is yet to be practised perfectly in any country, even in the US. "After 230 years of democracy, the US is yet to be a perfect democratic nation," Weldon said.

The US needed more than 150 years to establish the women' suffrage while it took 100 years to establish the right of the black people, Weldon added.

"Bangladesh is now a booming economy and we are here to help you to boost it further and also want to work with you to develop your private sector," he said.

Weldon also noted that Bangladesh could be the alternative to China for supplying readymade garment products to the US market and it should be the primary supplier.

The US wants to assist Bangladesh in the areas of education, science and agriculture, he added.

[Maruf]

A security conference will be held in May in Bangladesh. Experts from Bangladesh and America will attend the conference to discuss various aspects of security that impact the peoples' lives. I think this is the first ever security conference between the two nations.

http://www.newagebd.com/nat.html#2

Security conference with US to be held in Dhaka in May
Economic security a must for national security, says US Congressman
Raheed Ejaz

A conference on homeland security is scheduled to be held in Dhaka in May with the aim of enhancing the US-Bangladesh strategic partnership as well as ensuring economic security.

This was stated by US Congressman Curt Weldon on Tuesday at a press conference in the National Press Club.

Weldon led a five-member delegation of the Global Alliance for Homeland Security Asian Regional Chapter which arrived in Dhaka on Monday.

He said, ‘The premise of the conference is ensuring economic security for people. You cannot secure (sic) a nation unless you have economic security for your people in terms of providing decent jobs, healthcare, education and housing for them.’

‘This conference is not just about physically protecting the people of Bangladesh and America from terrorists and natural threats but is also designed to focus on ways of improving your nation,’ he told reporters.

‘We do not just want to come here in May to focus on the traditional role of homeland security, we want to focus on economic security too,’ he said.

The US Congressman, dwelling on the objectives of their organisation, said, ‘We want to bring nations together to protect nations against the kind of attack that we saw in 9/11 and the kind of attack the people of Bangladesh saw in August 2005.’

He was referring to the chain-bombing by JMB activists in almost all the districts of the country.

He told newsmen that they wanted to ‘feel the pain as well as the success of Bangladesh’. They also wanted to give Bangladesh a plan of action that focuses on the nation as a nation and also as a strategic national ally of the US.

Replying to a question about Bangladesh being considered to be a strategic partner of the US, Weldon said, ‘We consider it because of its volatile position, its democracy and its Muslim majority.’

Referring to the current situation, he said, ‘We know that you have gone through some political turmoil and we understand your position. Democracy is never perfect. There is no perfect government.’

‘You identified your shortcomings and weaknesses and you are doing that right now as a nation,’ he added.

On the issue of corruption Weldon said, ‘It’s healthy to weed out corruption. If there are corrupt politicians and corrupt corporate leaders, they should be held accountable.’

‘These are all the basic tenets of democracy and right now you are going through the process of making sure that your democracy works in that way,’ he added.

Referring to his discussion with the top brass of the army, he said, ‘Our support is for them for what they are doing, but the final fact is that you are in fact a democracy. And eventually you will return to the premise (sic) of your constitution of free and fair election.’

Convener of the Global Alliance for Homeland Security Bangladesh Chapter, Imam Anwar Hossain, also spoke at the press conference.

[MB444]

So often reforming and forward looking government in the developing world have fallen foul of western interest of maintaining status quo. It is good to see Bangladesh is not being pressured into anything particularly by the US who by a very wide margin is our greatest economic partner.

US not pushing for specific time for election in Bangladesh
Unb, Dhaka

The Bush administration has said there ought to be a timeline for election in Bangladesh to satisfy its people although it (US) is not pushing for a specific time for election.

"The goal of this government has to be to develop a programme to get back to elections. And so what we've looked for is not so much a particular date," a senior State Department official said at a briefing, according to a PTI report from Washington.

He stressed that the government in Dhaka will have to develop a programme to get back to election in the country and that has to be done as soon as possible.

Regarding the ultimate goal of the caretaker government, the official said, "They want to clean up politics, they want to clean up corruption problems, they want to cerate a certain political renewal. But the goal has to be to get back to election," he said.

Responding to a query on terrorism, the official said the elimination of the terror networks in Bangladesh is a top priority for Washington.

"As far as eliminating the terrorist networks in Bangladesh, this is truly a priority. We don't want to see Bangladesh falls prey to violence and political extremism that have afflicted other countries," the official said at Washington Foreign Press Centre.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/03/24/d70324013420.htm

This is a good thing and a timely one given the currect war against graft

Financial Intelligence Unit formed with US assistance

Friday March 23 2007 10:34:49 AM BDT

Rejaul Karim Byron

A Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been formed with technical assistance from the US to combat financial crimes and retrieve assets and money kept overseas by graft suspects. Established within the framework of the amended Money Laundering Prevention Ordinance, 2007, the unit will operate as part of the Bangladesh Bank's (BB) Anti-Money Laundering Department (AMLD). (The Daily Star )

The United States government has already provided the department with software essential to analyse and detect financial crimes.

Besides, it will send a consultant next month to train officials of the FIU that will consist of personnel from AMLD, the Attorney General's Office and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

A BB source said the unit would collect and analyse information from home and abroad and if necessary, would share those with authorities concerned.

Another government source said many of the big names rounded up recently for alleged corruption maintain accounts with offshore banks.

Currently, the government high-ups are discussing how to use the FIU to recover the huge sums believed to have been siphoned off the country.

Though set up in 2003 in line with the anti-money laundering law enacted the previous year, the AMLD has yet to unearth any big money laundering offences while some minor cases too stand unresolved.

Last Monday, the caretaker government approved in principle a proposed amendment to the Money Laundering Prevention Ordinance, 2007.

The amendment empowers the central bank to sign memorandums of understanding or mutual pacts with the other countries with regard to financial crime investigation.

Besides, the BB would face no legal bar to exchanging information or expertise with FIUs of the other countries.

Sources said the US has been pressing Bangladesh to strengthen its anti-money laundering measures since 9/11 in 2001.

During the tenure of the BNP-led coalition government, US government officials held talks with the central bank, and the Home and foreign ministries to find ways to stop terror financing in Bangladesh.

But the then government could not amend the anti-money laundering law due mainly to internal wrangling.

The US also provided training to a number of intelligence and BB officials to leave them better equipped to fight terrorism in financial sector, added the sources.

=========================================
NFB Posting
Image : www.moneyway.com/


The Daily Star
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hid...000000000154993

This post has been edited by MB444: Mar 23 2007, 05:50 PM

[Maruf]

I think the writer got carried away when he described the potential areas where Bangladesh and America could enhance cooperation to build a solid strategic relation. First off, America does not need Bangladesh they way it needs India to counter Chinese growing influence in the Pacific. Then for geo-strategic reasons, Bangladesh can never adopt policy that could hurt Chinese economic, political, and security interests in the region. Being smaller economy and weaker military power, Bangladesh has no choice but to maintain a balance between China and America. It is my understanding that, due to Bangladesh's economic and military potentials, America might elevate the relation with Bangladesh to tactical level but they will never recognize Bangladesh as a strategic ally.

http://www.thedailystar.net/strategic/2007...1/strategic.htm

US-Bangladesh strategic alliance
Brig Gen Jahangir Kabir, ndc, Psc (Retired)

(IMG:http://www.thedailystar.net/strategic/2007/04/01/strategic02.jpg)

Bangladesh has so many positive things, but unfortunately, the US does not have any strategic relation with the country' said the US Congressman Curt Weldon in his recent visit to Bangladesh. He also rightly observed that the overarching relationship of US with India and Pakistan has shadowed the potentials of Bangladesh. Bangladesh should be eager for strategic alliance with the USA but lack resources to penetrate the Beltway Washington.

We are glad to hear it from a congressional representative; he should say it louder in Washington. A country in immediate proximity of two awaking giants and fast moving Asia, Bangladesh is on a new definition of assertive strategy. As the voice of the people is increasingly reflected in this part of the world, we need assent of the people to sustain long-term cooperation. The easiest way is through trade that will anchor popular support. We are hungry for jobs; US has a serious worry of labour cost at home. If American technology and entrepreneurship can combine with 140 million working hands, it is going to be a strategic coupling spreading to other fields.

If futurologists are right, China-card is finally taking a U-turn as future challenger. Recent imposition of penal tariff on Chinese imports is a visible sign of trade friction. A wise management of economic strategy is to have multiple sources of smaller trade line to the US market. With concentration on technology driven ventures, America has lesser appeal for labour incentive industries like garments, apparels, shoes, steel, IT, electronics etc. Once the granary of the world and blast furnace of industrial production, the lucrative American market has attracted many friends and allies who have gained through it. It will be suicidal for America not to give attention to the innovative technology. To be on the driving seat of the globe, America must concentrate on high yielding state-of-the-art technology and remain competitive in the labour incentive areas as well by opening production line in countries like Bangladesh. It is not outsourcing jobs.

America can very much wrestle back control of the jobs that they have already lost to competitors by opening production and assembly lines in pro-labour Bangladesh. People have minimum knowledge of English and are eager to learn; Bangladesh is a huge reservoir of low cost labour force. The booming garment industry shows that it really works. If businesses of other countries can take advantage of cheap labour force of Bangladesh, aggressive American entrepreneurs can do it better for their home market. Joint ventures can take care of the local culture. The American Business Chamber in Dhaka can be the right instigator.

Bangladesh has only meager resources to impress the world: people like Congressman Weldon can spread the message. Americans had their 'gold rush', they have the black gold; with labour incentive production lines in Bangladesh they can have their 'labour gold' too. I wish somebody told them point-blank that there is a lot of money in Bangladesh. As incentive, Bangladesh government can underwrite security of the investments for first hundred investors with a thousand plus employment opportunity. Americans love money - to earn and to spend. America is the largest market of the goods and services that Bangladesh produces. We have export promotion zones; likewise we can also have some exclusive 'American Export Promotion Zones'.

The people of Bangladesh are a fine homogenous stock. The word on the street rightly speaks we cannot be away from democracy and Human Rights. The present anti-graft and anti-terror initiative is to free democracy and market economy from the parasites. With the law coming down hard on the terrorist outfits, militancy is already on a nosedive, the climate of peace and progress for profitable business is set. The World Bank predicts we shall have over 7% growth next year. Value added pluralistic alliance is the best bet. A new era of optimism is starting, and joining of American entrepreneurs with Bangladesh labour force at this time is an all win situation.

In spite of having the smallest per capita armed forces (Population - armed forces ratio) in the world, we are the largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping force. The third world is restive, its many borders insecure; Bangladesh is an ideal country to raise some UN standing force for policing needs of the world. Movement of naval fleet of big and powerful stature draws too much attention; in many cases it rings the alarm bell. Given the right incentive, Bangladesh naval forces, along with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, can police Bay of Bengal waters up to the choke point of Malaccan Strait. American military hardware is replaced every twenty years. If some of these replaced hardware are offered to Bangladesh at an affordable price, we shall have stronger response towards world peace.

Erstwhile JMB was more of an amateurish venture compared to the cold-blooded extremism witnessed in Afghanistan and Iraq. We thank the outfit for blasting over four hundred odd crackers that shed little blood but invited the inevitable axe. We are a liberal society. In spite of deprivations, hardboiled extremism is not in our chemistry. Anybody who deals with Bangladesh must understand the conflicting requirements between today's expediency and yesterday's legacies ingrained in the psychic. Pakistanis tried to exploit the people of Bangladesh for simple religious beliefs that served as catalyst for the creation of Pakistan. The wheels of progress will shut the vulnerable window forever and walk Bangladesh out of the miserable trap to more substance than mere hollow slogans.

It is time to repair the damages following 9/11. A major weakness of US policy towards Muslims is lack of popular response. A pro-people strategy in Bangladesh can be a turning point in the much-misunderstood Muslim world. Poverty reduction and population control is already working as a beacon for many third world countries; extremism and corruption weeded out for growth of democracy and market economy; Bangladesh needs real-term encouragement for a quantum leap towards global integration. Buy or sell, business will benefit both ends. A nondescript Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton once thundered 'it's the economy stupid' that made him the president of the United States; I shall repeat his strategy by saying 'it's the business gentlemen; take it to Bangladesh'.

[Maruf]

A high profile security team has asked president Bush to elevate Bangladesh to the level of a 'high priority' strategic partner to strengthen democracy and consolidate Bangladesh's ability to fight against global terrorism. They also highly praised Bangladesh military's role in protecting democratic values in the country. They advocated for a increased amount of cooperation between the U.S. and Bangladesh military. I am uncomfortable about the whole thing because if Bangladesh is drawn too close to U.S. then she will have to take a strategic stance against China. America is trying to befriend the countries around China to create an anti China block in Asia Pacific. I don't want Bangladesh to be a part of such strategic block.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/13/d7051301033.htm

US Security Team to Bush
Give Bangladesh high priority as US strategic partner
Staff Correspondent

A US security delegation comprising a congressman and military veterans has asked President George W Bush to give Bangladesh "high priority" as a strategic partner in US foreign and national security policies against the backdrop of its exposure to Islamist extremism.

"Bangladesh is potentially a crucial player in the struggle against Islamic extremism, and this is a crucial period for that country. The US has rare opportunity now to help shape the future of an important nation," the delegation said in a recent letter to Bush upon returning home after a protracted visit to Bangladesh last month.

The five-member delegation last month visited Bangladesh and held a series of high-level meetings with senior government leaders, civil and military officials and businessmen.

The delegation comprised US Congressman Curt Weldon, former deputy assistance secretary of defence W Bruce Weinrod, retired US Air Force major general Ronald J Bath, retired US Army colonel Timothy D Ringgold, and retired US Coast Guard commander Michael D Kearney.

They came to Bangladesh to develop the framework for a major conference on homeland security issues to be held in Bangladesh later this year.

By making Bangladesh a priority the US could help "ensure a democratic and pro-Western nation, and prevent the emergence of another highly unstable Islamic nation vulnerable to extremism", the letter said.

It warned that given the economic underdevelopment in that national along with political instability in recent years, "Bangladesh is vulnerable to extremist efforts to impose a violently anti-US regime on that nation".

Although Bangladesh is the world's third largest Muslim majority country, "the Bangladeshi form of Islam is generally moderate and tolerant and has co-existed comfortably with a secular government since its independence", the letter said.

But Bangladesh can be "a strong member of a moderate Islamic coalition that rejects fanaticism and terrorism", it added.

"Bangladesh's positive role and potential makes it all the more important that the US take a pro-active role in assisting Bangladesh to improve its political and economic situation so that Bangladesh will not provide fertile ground for extremist fanaticism."

The delegation observed that Bangladesh is now in a period of "political and economic transition" when key leaders are seeking to strengthen and deepen the national democratic political system and also crack down on "endemic" corruption.

"This is truly a historic moment in Bangladesh. A successful outcome is crucial to the future stability and political orientation of that nation," the delegation said.

Given the importance of the present moment for the future, they suggested that the US strengthen further its support for Bangladesh "by making every effort to support those far-sighted leaders who are working towards a genuine and corruption free democracy that is aligned with the West in its struggle against Islamic extremism".

On increased defence ties, the letter pointed out that the Bangladeshi military plays a key role in the nation. "The military leadership is at this time assuming a low-profile and positive role in encouraging needed changes in the Bangladeshi political system" and in the efforts to end rampant corruption there.

"The US should reinforce and in effect reward the Bangladeshi military for their role and restraint. Enhanced military-to-military and as appropriate, civilian-to-military programmes and visits are very much in the US national interest," the delegation's letter said.

"We, therefore, strongly urge that the US make Bangladesh a very high priority...By doing so, the US will ensure that Bangladesh strengthens its democratic system and increases its role as moderate and democratic Islamic ally in the global struggles we face in the twenty-first century," the delegation said.

[Maruf]

The writer has talked about the much touted strategic relation between Bangladesh and America. He identified some opportunities such as cooperation in combating terrorists and strengthening democratic institutions that can be realized through cooperating at the strategic level. But he also cautioned that there are some impediments that can jeopardize the strategic cooperation between the two nations. He is specially worried about the attitude of the left leaning political parties that view America as an imperialist power. Besides that, the divergence in the strategic outlook is another challenge that can dwarf the success of the cooperation at the strategic level. Bangladesh is a neutral country and doesn't like to hobnob with a superpower with global ambition. China is a rising global power and a close door neighbour of Bangladesh. The strategic closeness with America might antagonize China and that could spell a disaster in the relation between Bangladesh and China.

http://www.thedailystar.net/strategic/2007...3/strategic.htm

US-Bangladesh strategic partnership: Prospects and challenges
Barrister Harun ur Rashid

(IMG:http://www.thedailystar.net/strategic/2007/05/03/st02.jpg)

It is reported that a US security delegation comprising of a Congressman and military veterans has asked President Bush to give Bangladesh “high priority” as a strategic partner in US foreign and national security policies against the backdrop of its exposure to Islamist extremism.

The delegation reportedly said: “Bangladesh is potentially a crucial player in the struggle against Islamic extremism and this is a crucial period for that country. The US has a rare opportunity now to help shape the future of an important nation.”

A five member US delegation visited the country last month and reportedly met senior government leaders, civil and military officials and businessmen. Media reports say that they came to Bangladesh to develop the framework for a major conference on homeland security issues to be held in Bangladesh later this year.

What is strategic partnership?

Strategic partnership, among others, means inter-state relationship at several levels and they are mainly as follows:

* Very good and friendly relations at the top political level, which are usually institutionalized in one or another form.

* Intensive cooperation in the spheres of the highest strategic importance for both countries

* Dynamic and mutually beneficial economic relations, intensive cultural exchange, cooperation at the level of various NGOs as well as individuals.

Empirical evidence suggests that development of this relation and its intensity cannot be uniform because it depends on the countries' resources. It may be more important to underscore influence of international environment on such relationship.

Factors of proposed strategic partnership

It is obvious that since 9/11, the US administration, political scientists and media have been following the signs of upsurge of Islamic militants in Bangladesh. Alex Perry of the Time magazine in its October 21, 2002 edition came out with a story that Bangladesh had become a “safe haven” for Islamic Jihadis.

He wrote: “Bangladesh has also its fundamentalists. And its southern coastal hills and northern borders with India are lawless and bristling with Islamic militants armed by gunrunners en route from Cambodia and southern Thailand to Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Central Asia and the Middle East.”

Since 2004, Bangladesh had been hit by a spate of bomb attacks that have targeted judges, NGO workers, journalists and politicians.

On January 23, 2005 Eliza Griswold wrote in The New York Times about the attempt by Islamic militants to bring about Talibanisation of the country. Travelling throughout Bangladesh she concluded “The global war on terror is aimed at making the rise of regimes like that of the Talibans impossible; in Bangladesh the trend could be going the other way.”

On 17th August 2005, the entire country was rocked by about 400 bombs that exploded almost simultaneously in sixty-three of sixty-four districts of Bangladesh. This attack had demonstrated that they had the expertise and planning to explode bombs.

Police in some of the cities said leaflets calling for implementation of Islamic law were found near the scene of the blasts, some written in Arabic and others in English.

On 30th December, a suicide attack took place in Gazipur (near capital city Dhaka) killing one person and injuring 27. This was the first time a suicide attack was made. It is reported that the banned Jamat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had trained about 2000 suicide bombers.

On 31 March 2007, six JMB leaders were hanged for murdering two judges and reportedly, they were not repentant for their militant activities.

On 1st May 2007, the militants demonstrated their might by exploding bombs in three railway stations even though six militant leaders were hanged. The organization that carried out the attack reportedly left their name as “Zadid (new) Al Quaeda”.

All these events are of great concern to US because their troops have been fighting the Islamic militants since 2001 in Afghanistan and since 2003 in Iraq.

If Bangladesh government does not act firmly to eradicate Islamic militants, the Jihadis might find a way to Afghanistan and to Iraq.

Bangladesh is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Islam has been embedded with local customs and traditions. Many customs observed by Muslims in the country seem strange to Arab Muslims. For example, touching the feet of elders as a mark of respect and holding milad at times of success and adversity.

Islamic extremism did not grow in Bangladesh. It was brought here funded from overseas in 1998, and in 2005 it manifested its ugly head. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in the country do not endorse extremism and consider it a distortion of Islam. It is noted that in Bangladesh, Sufis (Islamic mystics) propagated Islam and Sufi tradition is the prevalent norm in the country.

In this respect, the US and Bangladesh have a common interest to curb and gradually eliminate Islamic extremism in Bangladesh. This commonality has acquired a new dynamics between the US and Bangladesh. There were various statements made by the top leaders of both countries to demonstrate a common concern and attitude towards threat to security from non-state actors.

A significant and new feature of US-Bangladesh cooperation is the capacity of forming law-enforcing agencies. The cooperation embraces the military and trans-border areas.

Challenges threatening the strategic relationship:

It is not uncommon among political observers to start wondering about the content of the partnership and its effectiveness. Without embarking here on an extensive discussion of the issues related to the problem, it is noted that in discussing the effectiveness of the strategic partnership and its prospects, the existing asymmetry between the two countries cannot be ignored. Even though the desire to curb terrorism coincides, there nevertheless exist considerable differences between the US and Bangladesh. There are great differences in culture, politics, and economy.

Bangladesh's geopolitical orientation is to be friendly to its neighbours, in particular to India, China and distant Russia. Furthermore, Bangladesh is a member of the Non-Alignment Movement and is not comfortable to be closely associated with the superpower. Such relationship could be misunderstood by its neighbours; Bangladesh is rather inclined to perform the function of a neutralizing buffer (between India and China).

Among the impediments, the attitude of the left-wing political parties and civil society in Bangladesh toward the US is significant. The US under Bush administration is perceived as an imperial power that believes in politically influencing other countries across the world with their military power; it is also perceived as exploiter of natural resources. Free market and unbridled capitalism pursued by the US multi-nationals tend to create gross disparity between the rich and the poor. This image does not help the US to forge a strategic partnership with Bangladesh.

Furthermore, it is possible to maintain that the future development of US-Bangladesh relations is likely to depend upon the interrelation of both external and internal factors that may confront Bangladesh. Internal factors include social, political and economic dynamics of the country, while external factors relate to changes in the international environment.

The author is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.

[Maruf]

Though the writer didn't go much into the details about the long term interest of America in Bangladesh, I would like to highlight some points to better understand the American sudden strategic interest in our country. Geographically, Bangladesh is in the middle of two major powers in the region and due to Bangladesh's physical location, the North Eastern seven states of India are isolated. The only link between these isolated region and the mainland of India is 'shiliguri' also known as 'chicken neck'. This constitues a major security problem for India. Due to America's new strategic plan, India has become the blue eyed boy of the U.S. administration.

The below are specific reasons why America wants to forge a strategic relation with Bangladesh:

1. to use Bangladesh as a transit route for India so that better connectivity between North Eastern region and the rest of India can be built
2. to use Bangladesh's sea port so that India's maritime trade and security interests can be safeguarded
3. to use Bangladesh as a transit route to import gas and other source of energy from Myanmar
4. to use our own gas reserve to meet india's domestic demand
5. to suppress the anti-India political elements in Bangladesh and promote left leaning political parties
6. to rein in the Islamic political parties
7. to force Bangladesh to design our foreign and defense policies in line with India to eliminate any threat that could emerge from Bangladesh
8. to draw Bangladesh into Indo-America strategic sphere of influence and diminish China's hold on Bangladesh's security matters
9. to deter Bangladesh from forming an economic and security alliance with the ASEAN nations to keep us within the Indian and American security orbit

The above mentioned reasons are the main driving force behind the American new strategic plan for Bangladeh. India has to have a 'friendly' neighbourhood before she even tries to engage China and the American administration is well aware of it. Pakistan is a major pain in the neck for India and Bangladesh with its 150 million people is in no mood to be treated like a child by its bigger neighbour. So, it is in America's interest that Bangladesh behaves like a satellite country of India so that all the energy can be focused on containing the 'big wolf'---- China.

Members here are most welcome to debate the issue.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/06/07/d70607020327.htm

Strategically Speaking
US focus on Bangladesh
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)

We ought to feel happy that Bangladesh has reached such a point of "eminence" that it has merited the only superpower to demonstrate more than a passing interest in our country, which had for most part of its existence been relegated to insignificance, being, to them, nothing more than a dot in the backwaters of the Indian Ocean. That was our worth right through the end of the Cold War and up to September 11, 2002.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. We became a willing supporter of the US war on terror in as much as we welcomed the anti-Taliban offensive in Afghanistan. But, we went along unwittingly, and unwillingly too, with the US occupation of Iraq, as did most countries of the region and outside, fearing the backlash of failing to be on the right side of President Bush's "either you are with us or against us" policy.

The government chose to be on the right side of the US, a policy that found little resonance in the popular mind, primarily because of the lies and deceits that the US government resorted to, to justify "Operation Enduring Freedom."

Coming to the recent past, recall the suggestion made to the US government by a high-powered security delegation consisting of, among others, retired generals of the US military, which visited Bangladesh last month. It called on the US government to accord high priority to charting the future course of US-Bangladesh relationship. In fact, the delegation went so far as to recommend that Bangladesh be considered a strategic partner of the US.

These are very significant developments in the relational matrix between a superpower and a developing country. We would have felt flattered had it not been for the fact that it was not so much for Bangladesh, per se, but rather for realising its strategic objectives in the region that the US planners are contemplating such arrangements.

Apart from that, the political developments in Bangladesh occasioned comments from the State Department's spokesperson, ranging from the urgency and the need to give a timeline for elections, to reminding the caretaker government not to forget the legal obligation of the state towards, and of the need to follow the procedures in dealing with, the gentlemen hauled up in the government's anti-corruption drive.

What has Bangladesh done to elicit so much US interest, and the status of a potential US strategic partner? We will leave that question for some other time. For now, we will dwell on another US visitor to Bangladesh.

Mr. Milam is an old acquaintance of Bangladesh. But I believe renewing old acquaintance was not the primary motive of his end-of-May visit, going by the comments he made during the visit and also in his bi-weekly column in the Daily Times of Pakistan of May 30. We will expand on some of his comments since those have great bearing on the bi-lateral relationship between the two countries.

The purpose of his visit was to get a first-hand account of what is happening, and what is going to happen in Bangladesh on the political front, in the near future. And, of course, his opinion, he being an expert on the region, would be of help to the US establishment in getting a clearer picture of the likely turn of events in Bangladesh.

And the fact that the Woodrow Wilson Center, of which he is a Senior Policy Scholar, is a bi-partisan establishment having no political agenda to serve, his suggestions will be particularly acceptable.

Apparently, the establishments and think-tanks that help inform decisions of the US policy planners are not clear about the likely future course of actions of the caretaker government. They are very anxious that the democratic arrangement that is on hold now may be put permanently on hold by a different dispensation, as sequel to the compulsions of circumstances beyond the caretaker government's control.

That is why his very first public comments, on the conditions that will determine the future US-Bangladesh relationship, which he considered to be at a critical point now, must be taken seriously by our authorities. The former US ambassador at a seminar at the BEI said that Bangladesh's future relations with the United States hinge on whether the caretaker government is successful, or the military takes over in future.

He cautioned that relations between the two countries might turn for the worse if Bangladesh fails to "return to a revived democratic system." We will be wrong in dismissing such cautionary notes because they come from a person not directly linked with the US government; that it echoes the attitude of the US policy makers we can be sure.

Perhaps Washington is still unsure of the military's role in a future political arrangement. Even after our special envoy's trip to the US to assuage any misgivings that US authorities might have in this regard, we are cautioned in a veiled fashion about what might befall our lot should we fail to return to the democratic ways.

However, one is glad to note that his apprehensions have been put to rest after his interactions with various personalities, including the CAS. That is the impression one gets from his column, entitled "Dhaka's spring of eternal hope," in the Daily Times of Pakistan of May 30, wherein he states very clearly that the junior and mid-level officers of the army appear to have very little interest in running the country. I presume very few will have any objection to theirs being interested, nonetheless, in how the country is being run.

One would like to hope that Mr. Milam will be able to convey to the US policy makers that the government is trying its best to overcome the current imbroglio. Has he not seen how the nation was subverted, and its ethos undermined, by unscrupulous and immoral persons holding the offices of ministers?

The people will not accept the likes of those who damaged our legal process for a hefty sum, to return to power. Mr. Milam has acknowledged the challenges being faced by the caretaker government, which, if left unattended, has serious portends for the country in the form of a more robust military involvement.

Not even the suffering multitudes who have endured the "benefits" of the democratic rule in the last decade and a half would wish for more vigorous military intervention. But certainly the people's hopes spring eternal in the "spring of eternal hope" for better days ahead.

Recently, the Awami League chief called upon her party workers to wait with patience for better days to come. There is, of course, a vast difference in what the political parties call "better days" and the "better days" that the people are hoping for. And while the political parties may be in hurry for their better days the people are willing to wait a little while longer for it. That is what our friends and well-wishers must understand.

The author is Editor, Defense &Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star

[Maruf]

I don't believe that Bangladesh armed forces are involved in any significant human rights violation for which the U.S. administration can stop the military funding. Most of the countries that are included in the watch list are having full scale civil war and some of them are even under the direct military rule for years. It won't be the best thing to isolate the Bangladesh armed forces that are playing notable role in the U.N. missions and also, with an exception to a few cases, played a tremendous favourable role to uphold the democrtic values in the country. I hope the U.S. lawmakers would reconsider their decision and initiate a dialogue with the Bangladesh armed forces to convey their concerns before including Bangladesh in the watch list. I am sure that if America stops the military funding, China will move in to fill vacuum. Do the U.S. lawmakers want to push Bangladesh more into the Chinese sphere of influence?

http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#10

Bangladesh under US watch for military funds
Bdnews24.com . Toronto

An influential US committee has marked Bangladesh for special watch for the human rights record of the country’s security forces, according to an official document.

The US Congressional Appropriations Committee has already nodded a bill, and it is expected to be passed into a law next month, according to the document available to the news agency.

Once the bill is signed into a law, Bangladesh will be the latest on the US watch list as countries such as Haiti, Guatemala, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Libya, Angola, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Nigeria are already in the group.

According to the document, the US provides military financing for many countries including Bangladesh, and if there is any proof that the security forces of a particular country are involved in any human or civil rights violation, the US stops the fund.

It means if the congressional committee finds that Bangladesh’s security forces are involved in rights violations it would result in cancellation of the military fund, officially called Foreign Military Financing.

According to the document, the secretary of state monitors the activities of the security forces and submits a report to the ‘committees on appropriations’.

Section 671 of the US law says, ‘Not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations describing the procedures being applied, on a country-by-country basis, to monitor whether funds appropriated by this Act under the heading “Foreign Military Financing Programme” for assistance for Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka, are misused by units of the security forces of such countries against civilians, including civilians who are members of political opposition parties and human rights groups.’

[akzaman]

US role in 1971 a tragic mistake

US Ambassador James F Moriarty yesterday in an oblique criticism said the role of his country during the Liberation War of Bangladesh was a 'tragic mistake'.
Speaking at a memorial meeting on Edward Kennedy at the Liberation War Museum in the city, Moriarty said the US had recovered from the mistake by giving early recognition to Bangladesh.

"Senator Kennedy helped my country to correct the mistake back in 1971 and we expressed that by quickly recognising Bangladesh," Moriarty added."I think we expressed that view by very quickly recognising Bangladesh after the end of the war. I think you all will recall that we were one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Ambassadors never say that their country makes a mistake, they just imply it," he went on to say. "We want to look at each country individually. We don't look at you as a former part of Pakistan or Bangladesh and Pakistan as former parts of India," he added. Recalling Kennedy's visit to refugee camps in West Bengal Moriarty said Kennedy drew the attention of the world to the humanitarian disaster for the first time."Senator Kennedy's visit and continued support for Bangladesh's independence has a great impact on public opinion. I have no doubt that his efforts led to the early recognition of Bangladesh by the US," Moriarty added.

He said Ted Kennedy's visit to Dhaka in February 1972 was one of the first visits to an independent Bangladesh by an international leader."The events, as we have seen this week, bonded Ted Kennedy with the people of this country in a deep way and Senator Kennedy will live on in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh," Moriarty added.Attending the programme the power and energy adviser to the prime minister, Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said, “I got a unique privilege to escort Ted Kennedy during his visit to refugee camps in India in August 1971 and his greatness, farsightedness and his vision of the world impressed me very much."

Recalling the contributions of Ted during the country's Liberation War in 1971 eminent economist Prof Rehman Sobhan said Kennedy not only raised his voice against the genocide in Bangladesh in 1971 he also raised his voice against the recent Iraq war."We should mourn for him as he was a friend of Bangladesh as well as a real spokesman of deprived people across the world," Sobhan said.

Marya Hossain, student of Peace and Conflict department at Dhaka University read out the speech of noble laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus who was scheduled to attend the programme but finally didn't take part for unavoidable reasons.Akku Chowdhury, trustee of the Liberation War Museum also spoke at the meeting, among others.

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=104171

[akzaman]

Bangladesh: Junior Partner in the U.S. “War on Terror”?

by Brian Palmer

I spent part of January and most of February in Dhaka developing a powerful addiction to the ubiquitous cha, strong tea with a dollop of condensed milk. The rest of the time I was plodding from appointment to appointment with Bangladeshi analysts and a handful of Americans to discuss U.S.-Bangladesh relations, perpetually astounded (and usually enraged) by the glacial and messy flow of vehicles and people.

I had previously visited Bangladesh in 2002 and 2008, and had made friends in Dhaka’s community of photographers and journalists. One of them suggested I look into the increasingly heavy foot traffic of U.S. officials, principally military folk, from Washington to Dhaka. A consistent critic of U.S. foreign policy, particularly our habit of military intervention in far-flung places, she suspected that Washington was grooming the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed to be a full-fledged, albeit junior, partner in the global war on terror – or whatever President Barack Obama calls his extension of Bush-Cheney hard-power initiatives.

After trolling the Internet and ringing up U.S.-based South Asia analysts and officers at the State Department and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), I had the distinct impression that Bangladesh was indeed getting more attention from the U.S. military than the usual port calls and disaster relief consultations.

Bangladesh and the U.S. have had reasonably strong ties for years, but the relationship had been a low priority for us – until September 11th, after which Washington asked for, and Dhaka granted, use of its airspace, ports, and refueling facilities for military operations in Afghanistan.

In the years following 9/11, the Bush administration voiced concern that Bangladesh might become a base for wandering militants, even al Qaeda, because of its proximity to Pakistan as well as its porous borders with India, abysmal governance, and corrupt – and scandalously underfunded – law enforcement agencies. The government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia denied that the threat was as serious as Washington made it out to be, an understandable response from a leader who courted – and later allied with – extremist parties such as Jamaat-i-Islami (Bangladesh). That said, many in both capitals worried that the robust trade in illegal weapons around the southeastern port of Cox’s Bazar, still a problem, might fuel homegrown militancy.

The Bush administration expanded ties with two previous regimes – the first one elected, the other installed by the military – and the Obama administration has recently given strong backing to the current elected and secular government of Sheikh Hasina.

Admiral Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command dropped by in November 2007 to discuss disaster relief assistance after Cyclone Sidr devastated the country’s southern coast. In October 2008, the Oregon National Guard formed a partnership with the Bangladeshi military to boost airport and maritime port security as part of a global U.S. State Department–National Guard Bureau initiative. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense James Clad visited the following month “to discuss a range of bilateral and multilateral security issues as well as future opportunities for cooperation between U.S. and Bangladesh armed forces,” according to an embassy press release. Several other U.S. officials passed through that year, but the visits really started picking up in 2009. In February, a three-star general from U.S. Special Operations Command and a one-star from PACOM visited Dhaka. Nine months later, the commanding general of U.S. Army–Pacific, the commander of the Seventh Fleet, PACOM’s director of strategic planning, and the commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command–Pacific stopped by, presumably to do more than just say hi.

Just this past March, the Navy’s Fleet Survey Team charted the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s major port. China is nudging its way in Chittagong as well – in 2008 it helped Dhaka set up a missile launch pad near the port city.

More tip-of-the-spear-type activities have been added to the existing U.S.-Bangladesh training agenda of peacekeeping, civic actions, and humanitarian relief. The first “Tiger Shark,” part of the classified Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program, was conducted last November. U.S. Navy special operators trained with sailors from the Bangladeshi Navy Special Warfare and Diving Salvage, which according to U.S. Ambassador James F. Moriarty, “is well on its way to becoming Bangladesh’s premier maritime counterterrorism unit.” Tiger Shark 2 kicked off in April 2010. Two more Tiger Sharks are scheduled for later in the year.

And if you follow the money, a pattern emerges. In fiscal year 2009, the U.S. provided a meager $590,000 to Bangladesh in military financing. State asked for $2.5 million for 2010. In 2009, the U.S. gave Dhaka $3 million in Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, and Demining funding. The 2010 estimate is $4.2 million. Total U.S. funding provided to Bangladesh in 2009, which includes the above plus money for everything else – child survival, good governance, economic support, etc. – was just shy of $117 million. The 2010 estimate is $168.5 million. These amounts are small, but they add up in a country with a per capita income of $621.

There was a near-consensus across the political spectrum among Bangladeshi analysts I spoke with about the country’s pressing, and in many cases dire, strategic concerns: poor and corrupt governance and a sclerotic political system; deep, widespread poverty; poor market access for its main export, garments; rising sea levels caused by global warming; access to water from rivers that flow through India, and which Delhi has plans to dam; and India, India, India, the regional colossus. Most believe that the U.S. can and should play a role in helping Bangladesh address these problems – provided they do so in democratic and transparent ways that take into account local needs and sensibilities.

There was, however, tremendous disagreement over the threat of Islamic militancy and terrorism. “Bangladesh is unfortunately the battleground in a proxy war between India and Pakistan,” says Ali Riaz, a South Asia analyst at Illinois State University. In August 2005, 500 simultaneous small bombs were detonated in 63 of the country’s 64 districts. Three people – and some estimates say as many as 30 – were killed and many more injured. Members of the Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, an Islamist extremist organization banned by the government in 2006, were convicted of the bombing and hanged.

Prior to 2005, there had been no suicide bombings in Bangladesh. In November and December of that year, there were multiple suicide bombings in Gazipur, Chittagong, and Netrokona, executed by Islamist militants. More than four years later, violent extremist groups – both far right and far left – are still active.

“Islamic militancy is not the number one problem. Maybe fifth or sixth,” a journalist who covers the terrorism beat for a major Bangladeshi newspaper told me.

“It is a problem created by the United States,” I was told by prominent left intellectual and NGO head Farhad Mazhar. He recalls the Bush administration’s friendship with the coalition government of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which fought with the West Pakistanis in the genocidal 1971 war of independence that grew out of the electoral victory of a popular politician in what was then East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his Awami League, the current ruling party, won all but two seats in Pakistan’s National Assembly, tilting the national balance of power away from the formerly dominant West. Military dictator General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, whose power base was West Pakistan, predominantly Punjabi, prevented the assembly from meeting and arrested Sheikh Mujib, as he was – and is – known. East Pakistanis, largely Bengali, hit the streets in protest. So Yahya sent in the Pakistani Army to slaughter them. They killed between one and three million people. Millions of refugees from East Pakistan streamed across the border into India. (Remember the Concert for Bangladesh?)

Publicly, Washington condemned Yahya’s moves. Secretly, the Nixon administration backed the general and provided fighter jets via Jordan, 18,000 rounds of ammunition, and other lethal hardware.

India also provided safe haven for the East Pakistani resistance movement and backed it with troops and materiel, beginning a paternalistic relationship in which Bangladesh now chafes.Most of the analysts I spoke to see Pakistan’s influence over Bangladesh as nominal, though all are concerned about Pakistan’s instability.

Mazhar and others believe the U.S. has subcontracted out its entire South Asia policy to India. “Essentially, what Bangladeshis are afraid of is that India is using the USA to turn Bangladesh into its backfield” in its fight against leftist militants on India’s northeastern border.

For their part, U.S. officials say American policy is balanced between military and counterterrorism initiatives and governance, aid, and trade programs. The U.S. is “overwhelmingly focused on a positive agenda,” a senior Western diplomat told me, “not looking for a terrorist behind every tree,” citing robust trade, cooperation on disaster response, aquaculture, and capacity building, among others.

Many Bangladeshi analysts, and not just lefties, disagree. The American strategic posture, says retired Brig. Gen. Shahedul Anam Khan of the Bangladeshi Army, “is predicated mainly on fighting terrorism, and terrorism has become the be-all of American foreign policy. So whatever issue one talks about, the issue of terrorism creeps in automatically.” That said, Anam, now defense and strategic affairs editor for the country’s largest English-language newspaper, The Daily Star, advocates Bangladeshi-U.S. cooperation in counterterrorism efforts. Most on the left, however, feel that Washington’s preoccupation with counterterrorism will militarize the bilateral agenda and strengthen the Bangladeshi military at the expense of civil institutions.

Whether left or right, all of the Bangladeshi analysts I spoke with say there is a role for the U.S. to play in some areas. Those closer to the right see cooperation, along with a healthy and equitable relationship with India, as Bangladesh’s best hope for prosperity and security.

“I’ve been a strong advocate for the need for Bangladesh to work closely with India, to work closely with the United States, with a whole range of partners, in terms of capacity building, in terms of training, in terms of generally gearing ourselves up to dealing with this [terrorism] threat,” says Farooq Sobhan, head of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute and a ex-diplomat with a muscular résumé – former Foreign Secretary, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, and Ambassador to China.

Those on left, however, are dubious about the U.S.’s ability to cooperate rather than dominate as they believe it has by supporting a series of corrupt governments and a fat and happy elite. “By nature, Bangladeshi people are soft, very amenable, reasonable too,” Nurul Kabir, editor of a left-of-center English-language newspaper, told me. “But when it comes to national dignity, some people of the upper class will compromise. The rest of the people, not.”

Brian Palmer is a fellow at the Center on Law and Security, an independent journalist, and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. His documentary, Full Disclosure, which is based on trips to Iraq with a U.S. Marine unit, received Ford Foundation funding and premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in February 2010. Palmer received a grant from the Nation Institute to support his reporting in Bangladesh.
Palmer was Beijing Bureau Chief for US News & World Report (1996-98) and a staff writer at Fortune following that. From 2000 to 2002, he was an on-air correspondent at CNN. Recently, Palmer has written for Mother Jones, The Huffington Post, Pixel Press.org, ColorLines, and Foam magazine (Amsterdam), among others. His photographs have appeared in The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Politiken (Copenhagen), and other publications.

http://centerlineblog.org/2010/05/28/bangl...error%e2%80%9d/