Staff Reporter :
In a popular talk-show called Tritiyo Matra at Channel-i yesterday Barrister Mainul Hosein said in clear terms that we cannot have bilateral talks with Myanmar in the hope of resolving aggression against Bangladesh. We have to face Myanmar as an enemy and be ready for a military confrontation if found unavoidable.
He was forceful in saying that appeasement is not diplomacy, diplomacy needs to be backed by power. Like Myanmar, we must also have our own alliances through aggressive diplomacy for military preparedness.
The men in government are saying proudly that the Prime Minister has placed a 5-point demand before the UN General Assembly but not accepting the failure to pursue aggressive diplomacy to mobilise world opinion.
Barrister Hosein reminded the audience of what the UN Secretary General said in well-meaning words. Mr Antonio Guterres gave his view in strong terms that the time had passed for such diplomacy of well-meaning words.
The Bangladesh government is not ready to give up their old friends who deserted them to embrace new friends offering all kinds of help. Bangladesh is not friendless. Though we have powerful friends on our side but the government of Bangladesh has continued to follow the Indian line of bilateral solution which is not to happen.
Myanmar’s military has committed genocide for ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims and pushed across the border nearly ten lakh refugees into Bangladesh and there is no sign of stopping the ethnic minority from fleeing Myanmar in the face unabated savagery, he added.
Barrister Hosein is convinced that the leadership in Myanmar considered Bangladesh too weak and unable to respond with military force to stop Myanmar’s military atrocities causing unbearable influx of men, women and children in most pathetic conditions. The understanding reached with India, China and Russia, once our good allies, has given Myanmar government all the encouragement for the aggression against Bangladesh.
He termed it as a big insult that Suu Kyi, State Counsellor, sent a low-level minister to tell a blatant lie for taking back the refugees. Our Foreign Ministry also proved shameless by welcoming such a minister and claiming the visit a great success in bilateral diplomacy.
Without caring to understand that in the absence of threat of military operation Myanmar will not change its policy against the Rohingyas not being citizens of Myanmar.
