Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The United States has accused the RAB of extrajudicial killings and disappearances as examples of human rights abuses. This is not the first time the United States has made such a complaint. Extrajudicial killings and disappearances in Bangladesh are mentioned every year in the annual US Human Rights Report. It is not that the United States alone has done so. Over the past decade, the European Parliament has repeatedly passed resolutions expressing concern over the human rights situation in Bangladesh. The British Foreign Office’s annual report in July of this year also said that the human rights situation had not improved. These allegations are based on regular reports from international and national human rights organizations. In fact, it can be seen in the daily news. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Asian Human Rights Council have been saying this for at least a decade, and reports published at various times have provided substantial examples.
The use of humanity and democracy is the long cherished strategy of US interest. However, the US policy has been lagging behind for two decades. The US war policy in Middle East and its shameless affiliation to Israel and finally escaping from Afghanistan all are controversies in line with the image and dignity of US. The recent steps taken by the United States to impose sanctions on Bangladesh are seen as a strategic position of the Biden administration in changing geopolitical interests as well as US foreign policy. Discussions, criticisms and analysis on US-Bangladesh relations are going on for various reasons. Although democracy in Bangladesh has not been so vocal in the past about issues like human rights and the rule of law, there is curiosity as to why the United States is vocal now. The Biden administration came to power but apparently their policy is changing. The change is how they will organize democracy worldwide. Here we can see that the United States is unhappy with some aspects of Bangladesh. “The recent steps taken by the United States are not seen as a sign of deteriorating relations with Bangladesh but as an indication of a change in attitude. One is the question of human rights or democracy, which is part of their foreign policy, and the other is the Biden administration’s geopolitical focus on the Asia-Pacific region from the beginning.
The United States wants participatory democracy in Bangladesh. In particular, they are interested in the forthcoming elections to be free and fair with the participation of all parties. They want all political parties to participate in this election. One of the interests of the United States is the protection of human rights in Bangladesh. To ensure the protection of human rights, the United States imposed sanctions on six senior law enforcement officers in Bangladesh, and they believe that the ban has had a positive effect on crossfire. The United States wants to see religious tolerance and non-sectarianism in Bangladesh. The United States expects clear state intervention, an investigation, and a fair trial for allegations of persecution, particularly against religious minorities. The United States also believes that communal harmony in Bangladesh must be maintained and that it must be pursued at all costs. The United States does not want the emergence of right-wing political currents like extremism, fundamentalism, militancy in Bangladesh under any circumstances. They are also interested in cooperating with Bangladesh in various ways to stop such activities. One of the big issues in the United States is the freedom of the media. For this reason, the United States believes that the current Digital Security Act needs to be amended and, if possible, repealed.
According to some analysts like Kugleman, the reason behind this move could be that the Biden administration is focusing on Bangladesh to advance its democratic objectives. If the recent sanctions are merely a beginning of a stricter US approach towards countries in human rights matters, then it could be a tough road ahead for Bangladesh and, to some extent, India. In an increasingly challenging security environment full of sub-conventional threats, cooperation between states becomes an indispensable tenet of a country’s overall security strategy.
Although relations with Bangladesh have been strained at various times, cooperation in trade, investment and security, especially in counter-terrorism, has increased over the past decade. This cooperation has increased further after 2016. The United States is a big market for Bangladeshi products. The balance of trade between the two countries is in favor of Bangladesh and as a single country the United States is the largest market for garments made in Bangladesh. The United States has been a major contributor to the vaccine. Praising Bangladesh for providing shelter to Rohingya refugees, the United States has not only fulfilled its responsibility but also continued its assistance and cooperation. In the context of such a relationship, the imposition of sanctions by the United States has fallen many into a matter of surprise. The US emphasis on democracy and human rights concerning Bangladesh begs the question as to why the country (USA) has taken such a step right now. Though many think, such a policy may be detrimental to its strategic partners like India, for whom Bangladesh is a crucial security partner in South Asia.
The Bangladesh authorities believe that the US sanctions are part of its geopolitics while the US version is that its national security interests have been threatened by the Rapid Action Battalion undermining the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms and economic prosperity of the people of Bangladesh.
In fine, we can say that US sanction in Bangladesh is nothing but a geo-political strategy in South Asia. The US sanction is nothing but a matter of symbol and a determining factor of their interest. In fact, there may have negative impacts of US sanction in Bangladesh. We hope, Bangladesh will be able to overcome problems and challenges with the diplomatic maturity the country achieved since its inception in 1971.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP).
