M A Hossain :
When Saudi King Salman accorded a royal reception to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister and sought Dhaka’s active participation in the Saudi-led coalition by sending Bangladeshi troops, the Bangladesh Prime Minister gave a cautions reply. She vowed to send troops only if the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina come under attack. This proposition from the Bangladeshi Prime Minister was advocated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India succeeded in convincing the Bangladeshi Prime Minister that sending of troops to the Saudi-led coalition would mean inviting rivalry with Iran. Earlier, Iranian leaders requested India to convince Bangladeshi Prime Minister in refraining from sending troops to the Saudi-led coalition.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s response to the Saudi request though was very much diplomatic, it had in fact, annoyed the Saudi King.
As a result, when Bangladesh, quoting King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz al Saud sent a press statement on the one billion dollar Saudi grant for the construction of mosques, Riyadh instantly refuted the news by terming it as baseless.
Dhaka’s relations with Riyadh instantly deteriorated. Saudi Arabia started distancing itself from Bangladesh. Nothing could improve this situation.
Reaction of the Saudis became crystal clear when the Bangladeshi Prime Minister visited the kingdom again in 2018. This time there had been no more warmth – no more special reception from the Saudi side.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s decision of not sending troops instantly to the Saudi-led coalition had also put her war against radical Islamic terrorism [when she has been successfully using as an effective tool in legitimizing her questioned consecutive second term] under cloud and doubt. This had not only dismayed Saudi Arabia alone, but also its key ally- the United States of America as well.
By successfully convincing the Bangladeshi Prime Minister in not sending troops to the Saudi-led coalition, India had earned special gratitude of Iran. In exchange, Delhi-Tehran trade had increased several folds during the past couple of years.
Iran has always been considering India as the most trusted and tested ally. Most importantly, to both the nations, the US is a potential threat and a worst enemy. Another key point is, to Iran, Sunni nations are her enemies while to India, both Muslims and the US are enemies. More precisely, the ideologies of a Hinduist Narendra Modi [and India] have huge compatabilities with a Shiite Iran.
India’s Middle East policy has also been extremely cunning. By doing so, India has been simultaneously milking Riyadh and Tehran. Its Middle East approach is no different than the tendencies of a filthy street hooker. It tries to please everyone, through artificial smile or indecent physical actions.
But this time, unfortunately again, Bangladesh has been entrapped by a filthy street hooker like India. By listening to Modi’s tips on the Saudi affairs, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister had comprised the interest of Bangladesh, thus benefiting India. No one really knows, how long Bangladesh will have to pay the cost of this diplomatic blunder.
(This author is a political and defence analyst).
