Photo : Messenger
Bangabandhu is the name of a legend who dreamt of a hunger and poverty-free prosperous country. His actions changed the world forever. Now it is the turn of his eldest daughter to change the world with Bishwabandhu’s Bandhutva. Today’s expected victory of Prime Minister Hasina will renew Bangabandhu and Bishwabandhu’s ideals in our mindset especially, that of our younger generations, inspiring them to learn human values and love for their own nation and the world. This will also afford them an opportunity to learn the significance and spirit of the War of Liberation from the life and struggle of Bangabandhu.
In May 2023, the United States imposed visa restrictions to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections. ‘Under this policy, the US will be able to restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.’ However, from get go, I construed this restriction to be a gambit strategically played by the US. In the current game of chess, we need to understand that visa restrictions were imposed where a message was delivered to India to shape its ship of influence on other South Asian countries and make amend for losing Sri Lanka and Nepal from the group. Bangladesh is now a natural partner to both India and USA. We need to work with them with an eye to garnering a new block of influence. In a recent Op Ed piece, I mentioned, “When the smokescreen disappears, it will be apparent that AL will win this election without any negative interference of the elephant in the room.” It is now clear that on 7th January the result, with no explicit interference from the US, will confirm this statement.
This visa gambit was misconstrued by both the ruling and opposition party. However, the ruling party very quickly understood this gambit to be the strategic chess game and thus they construed the restrictions as more apparent than real. But the opposition BNP continued to hold the understanding that the visa restriction is against the ruling party and as a result BNP will get its way through expected intervention by the US. So, it adopted undemocratic practices and took to the street violence and later, went for non-cooperation movement. In this process, they have stayed away from elections and disenfranchised themselves, yet again. Now, it is destined to be relegated to Bangladesh’s political history.
However, this misinterpretation continues to this day. Now, the opposition thinks that the US will pan out eventually on their behalf and the new government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will fall by the wayside in the manner of Arab spring, albeit, with the US assistance.
The analogy is misplaced in two distinct ways. The Arab Spring took place because of extreme poverty and social injustice, whereas Bangladesh has successfully reduced poverty rates and HDI injustice indicators over the years. The country has implemented various programmes and initiatives to uplift marginalised communities and improve their access to education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities. It has made notable progress in several areas of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including poverty reduction, education, gender equality, and healthcare.
Bangladesh is galloping towards a trillion-dollar economy to be included as the 16th trillion-dollar nation. By my calculation, GDP (gross domestic product) will double in next 12 years by the year 2035. Returns will be more than an enviable 10%. Its challenges are decreasing due to economic momentum in both industrial and service manufacturing, agricultural, infrastructural (physical and electronic), financial sophistication and services, regulatory, fiscal, education, expatriate relations, connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region, cross-border logistics-communication and climate and renewable energy, to name important ones.
Second, Bishwabondhu’s Bandhutva is critically relevant given the expanded role of Bangladesh in Indo-Pacific corridor and Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as one of the important regional players in promoting security, connectivity, and shared prosperity. On 24 April 2023, during a Town Hall meeting at the US Embassy in Dhaka, Ambassador Peter Haas lauded Bangladesh having demonstrated mastery in securing four superpowers’ engagement in Bangladesh. This, indeed, is a great testimony for the leadership and sagacity of Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina!
The Big Four powers want Bangladesh to play a bigger role outside of the bracket for their own interests. Bangladesh followed Bishwabandhu’s Bandhutva for a very long time. The country’s UN peacekeeping efforts in manmade and natural crises and global engagement have brought numerous benefits to the world. Its continued commitment to peacekeeping demonstrates its dedication to global peace and security. Bangladesh’s commitment and contributions have helped maintain global peace and stability, providing continued humanitarian assistance in Rohingya refugee and human crises, strengthened the UN’s capacity, promoted regional security, facilitated capacity building and economic benefits. Simply, Bangladesh is poised for even a bigger role now since its economy is well under a strategic and momentum expansion. It is now poised for greater regional and global role. The enabling factors are empowering infrastructure across 580-km coastline, 10 active land ports, deep seaports, international airports, highways, Asian highways, BRI regional highways, among others. Today, Bangladesh has emerged as a corridor where China and India are stepping in to shore up their foreign direct investments (FDI).
The bottom line here is that BNP will be well advised to understand that wishing for post-election Arab spring will be another fatal mistake like its pre-election violence relying on falsely expected US support. They should remember Henry Kissinger’s saying as a general principle, “To be an enemy of the US is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal." Inciting communal violence will be a lost cause as the ruling party has been working on the freedom of worship of all religions including Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism throughout the country. The government ensures the protection of religious sites and facilitates the observance of religious rituals. Importantly, Bangladesh has witnessed efforts to promote interfaith relations and social cohesion in terms of interfaith dialogue initiatives, community engagement, and inclusive policies. These efforts have contributed to fostering religious tolerance and harmony among different religious communities.
Any country needs a healthy opposition. BNP, I think, is no longer a healthy opposition. From the ashes, they should build the party anew based on some common principles:1) Bangladesh’s DNA is the father of the nation, Bangabandhu and Bishwabandhu, 2) 1971 Liberation War, 3) Upholding of Bangladesh Constitution and 4) Allegiance to Bangladesh Sovereignty.
BNP should learn from history. The Whig party of the US, over the course of a little more than 20 years, experienced a meteoric political rise that was rivaled only by its abrupt and total collapse. In the mid-19th-century, the two most powerful political parties in the US were the Democrats and the Whigs. But for all their prominence and power, the Whigs could not keep it together. The all-consuming issue of slavery was the Whigs’ ultimate undoing and demise. The scattering Whig leadership started third parties like the Know Nothings and the Republicans. To this day Democrats and Republicans are two main political parties in the US. We look forward to such a transformation of BNP for the sovereignty of our great and beloved country.
I want to end my note by addressing the father, the immortal Bangabandhu, directly by paying my deepest homage to the architect of Bangladesh and indomitable savior of the dispossessed – locally and globally. Let me give this version in a couple of sentences with a hope to establish relevant connection:
My deepest respect and homage to Bangabandhu, Bishwabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Our DNA incorporates your ideals for eternity – be that of child, woman, and man!
The writer is Professor of Finance, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL, USA
Messenger/Fameema
