Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni recapitulates the urgency of protecting the interest of the country by denying shelter to the ill-fated Rohingyas, a marginalized Muslim community of Myanmar who urgently need to enter Bangladesh to avoid sure massacre in their homeland. She is desperate in claiming that considering the far-reaching interest of the country Rohingyas will not be allowed shelter in Bangladesh. But the same foreign minister either handed over or assisted to handover some basic strategic keys to India that are inseparably related to the existence of Bangladesh.
She and her colleagues utterly failed to comprehend the blunder while surrendering those keys. The basic reason is that avoiding the internationally accepted norms they define everything on the basis of their own choice and interest. Many terms like friendship, democracy, independence and sovereignty, even freedom fighters and pro-independence and anti-independence forces, and so on are defined in different way suiting their interest. The critics opine these peculiarities are the revelation of digitalized ambiguities.
On the basis of the utopian digitalized foreign policy the government discovered the interest of the country in denying the Rohingya to enter Bangladesh and push them back what is equivalent to death penalty. The government claims pushing the Rohingyas to the cave of death inside Myanmar it protects the interest of the country. But the same government availing lame excuses forgot the strategic interest of the country when it agreed to provide free naval, road and railway corridors, ports, lands, and even access of Indian Army to Bangladesh. Though these concessions are very crucial to Bangladesh Dipu Monis did so in the name of strengthening and cementing friendship with India.
The inner reason of such one-sided foolish generosity is that India is their personal and party ally, such an ally that openly declared that it will not remain idle if Dipu Monis face any crisis in Bangladesh. India pledges to rescue/ or salvage them. Such report flashes off and on that to rescue Dipu-Monis helicopters, i.e., Indian Air force, are kept ready in Kolkata and Agartala. Dipu Monis never protested such aggressive and defaming official statements and reports. Observers believe such naked assurance is the outcome of those strategically important concessions that were unhesitantly given away to India to keep Bangladesh under Indian grasp. Through such gestures Dipu Monis couldn’t fetch any benefit for Bangladesh, rather seriously compromised the foundation of our sovereignty. Hundreds of instances could be cited to justify how Dipu Monis sacrificed the vital interest of Bangladesh to please their Indian friends. Now the same class denies entrance of the Rohingyas in the name of protecting the interest of Bangladesh. What a sheer mockery it is!
Shelter to the moribund Rohingya Muslims was denied as it will not fetch any returns from any source. So it is unimportant to protect them from sure death. Many analysts who are knowledgeable on the Chanakya (Koutillaya)-policy of India opine that India the former footman of late communism and defunct Soviet Union now leans to America in order to besiege China and impose its (India) supremacy on its neighbouring counties. Observers believe it (India) suggested our policymakers not to shelter the Rohingyas. Its policymakers silently observe the annihilation of the Rohingyas in their doorsteps, as if, nothing happens in Arakan Hills.
Observers believe that India designs to orchestra and prolong meaningless dispute and conflict between Bangladesh-Myanmar to encircle Bangladesh from all sides. The current anti-Rohingya massacre is one of those intrigues. The immediate goal of the present conflict is to isolate Bangladesh further so that Bangladeshi Muslims cannot get shelter in their doorstep Myanmar on the face of any internal turmoil or Indian aggression in the form of rescuing Dipu Monis or crushing the patriots whom the ruling class brands as anti-liberation forces and fundamentalists. It is strongly believed Dipu Monis were asked to deny repeated requests of international community to shelter the Rohingyas in Bangladesh territory.
Observers allege Bangladesh government knowingly undertakes inhuman stand in response to Indian pressure though it is quiet aware that the Rohingya Muslims have little security in their abode. It is the humanistic and moral responsibility to shelter the endangered people irrespective of caste and creed. The inhuman instance that the government sets against the imperiled Rohingyas will be a boomerang, as none of the international community will come forward help us if we ever face such manmade debacle. The far-reaching consequences of government denial to UN, American, Canadian or EU request will isolate us further that may cause our country and people.
Deterrence on the visit of UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) officials to Bangladesh-Myanmar border indirectly brands UN as our rival. Only the future can say what adverse impact it will ascribe on Bangladesh for such unstudied and immature diplomacy. We send thousands of our soldiers under UN Peacekeeping Mission who work in many disturbed regions around the world to deter ethnic violence and political annihilation and restore peace. But we cannot play any meaningful role by providing shelter to the aggrieved and innocent people who standing on our doors and beg and cry to save their lives from communal riots. Rather we make cruel joke with them by providing some food and fuel to ply their boat.
The Non- resident Bangladeshi intellectuals and analysts expressed their deep anguish against the Indian government, the lone ally of the incumbent government that deters it from taking even humanitarian step by providing mere shelter to the Rohingyas in our soil. They alleged that this self-styled fake superpower (?) frequently, pokes its nose into the internal affairs of its neighboring countries, stands ready to rescue its allies in Bangladesh, shelters rebels of Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and sent its soldiers to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan, didn’t utter single word favoring the Rohingyas, not to speak of providing shelter, because such anti-minority massacre occurs in her soil almost daily. They (intellectual and analysts) opine, India’s evil counseling obstructs the AL-led government that prompted the Dipu Monis to denounce American, Canadian, UN or European Union repeated requests to open our border for the fleeing Rohingyas. It is India that also provokes Myanmar not to construct a road through its territory to facilitate Bangladesh to have direct road connection to China and other Southeast Asian countries, as it will reduce Indian business in Bangladesh. That will also frustrate Indian policy of encircling Bangladesh and keeping it within the Indian radar. Persuading the incumbent Sheikh Hasina government, this self-styled fake superpower though hobnobs with America to encircle China conveys this message to America that it is not ready to allow America to play even minimum role in the region and USA bossing will no longer be entertained. India finds USA middling in this region a threat to her (India) hegemonic aspiration.
Dipu Monis’ allege that international community did nothing in repatriating
those Rohingyas who earlier were sheltered in Bangladesh. So Bangladesh has no room to aggravate the burden sheltering the Rohingyas further. Though such allegation is valid, still we can’t allow the fleeing Rohingyas to be killed once they reach our door. Can we hide our diplomatic failure in repatriating the Rohingyas back who are in Bangladesh for years? Did we hold any meaningful and serious dialogue in any international forum on this issue? How many times we asked China, an ally of both Bangladesh and Myanmar help repatriation of the Rohingyas? Did we raise the issue before UN, OIC, even SAARC or any other international or regional body? It is the outcome of the Indianization of our foreign policy. We don’t have any reliable friend around the world. India is a friend of a particular party or parties, but not of Bangladesh and it (India) relentlessly works to keep Bangladesh isolated from the rest of the world. Can we push back the Rohingya refugees unilaterally without international support? Do we have such influence and ability to persuade or force Myanmar to take the Rohingyas back home? If we do have it, why we utterly failed to do that? If we had such power, Myanmar would have never dared to touch the Rohingyas.
The reality is that we lag behind in all aspects. We don’t have power or international lobbying to compel Myanmar to repatriate its nationals. Still we can’t allow the Rohingyas die keeping our door closed. Requesting the international community to play their due to role in expediting early repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, we could table some preconditions that could strengthen us diplomatically and even financially. Through this we could satisfy all the groups. Our present policy will simply isolate us further. We have become friendless and segregated and isolated us. We can’t say who guides us? Who dictates our internal and external policies?
On the other hand, the international community is puzzled while the Muslim world baffled seeing the unusual happenings inside the country. What type of democracy we are practicing? Seeing the digitalized version and prodigy of democracy that includes willful exercise of power, shackling the political dissents, kidnapping, secret killing, remand, trouncing, culture of contrived cases, accumulation of power to an individual, wrangling between the parliament and judiciary, and so on the international community jeers at us.
Their studied conclusion is: how the incumbent government that was democratically elected by the people denies democratic rights to its opponents, tramples down (under police boot) the opposition activists, fastens the activists with rope like cattle, shackles (on the foot of) the dignitaries, lifts the opponents from the streets and vanishes them forever whose near ones don’t know whether they are alive or dead, allows random killing everywhere - from bedroom to the streets - could shelter the alien Rohingya refugees in its soil, as their death matters little to it (government).
We are being isolated from the rest of the world due to all these reasons and above all, the erroneous foreign policy that closes all doors for us. Our foreign policy confines us to the pound of an expansionist ally. We are friend neither of America, nor China. Japan or Muslim World suspects our sincerity. We don’t attach importance to UN. To what destination we are leading to? Many of our tested allies are no more with us. Those who should have sided with us, now are irritated to us. We are folding ourselves from rest of the world and it seems we are being transformed to the status of Bhutan and former Sikkim. Sikkim withered away from the world map about four decades ago. Neither the king nor the premier of Bhutan needs to go abroad, as he has no function and none feels importance to invite him to visit any country, because the international community knows someone controls and performs the external services of Bhutan. Observers apprehend Bangladesh gradually proceeds to that direction.
Real independence and sovereignty of any country is ventilated through its foreign policy. Many observers of home and abroad allege that our foreign policy fatefully encages to Indian orbit. The international community though doesn’t verbally express, but solidly feels who now dictates Bangladesh. It is our responsibility to reverse the mindset of the international community. We must comprehend this reality that a country in the truest sense of the term can’t remain as sovereign if it is dictated and controlled by foreign guardian. Under such situation a country degrades to merely government and flag-centric.
The government of such country is chosen and changed according to the signal and choice of that regulatory guardian. Trade and commerce, internal administration, even culture and literature of such country are controlled by the same mentor. Whatever it desires, the ruling class remains obliged to provide it. If the ruling elites ever behave disloyally, they are replaced by new ones. The new elites also enjoy the blessing of the mentor and act upon its suggestions. The mentor, suiting its interest and intention uses them as the pawns of chess. It is better to brand them as ‘robot’. We don’t desire to be used as robot of any power. We will formulate our vision exercising our sagacity, prudence and talent. We are to justify that the nation that achieved its independence through unprecedented sacrifice can determine and implement our external policies. It will be fallacious if anyone miscalculates us as robot.
In many countries robot-like human beings appear in different ages. Robot doesn’t possess its own intelligence and conscience. It is nothing but a machine. It acts simply according to the programs planted by its user inside it. Such people could also be compared to parrot. A parrot can only utter whatever it is taught and the parrot-like human being does what its mentors tell. He/she can neither exercise his/her own judgment, nor do what should be done. Such mercenaries and vested interests are turned, as if, to something like handicapped. They serve for the mentors at the cost of their national interest. Due to self-centered sabotage of these handicapped surrogates many independent and sovereign countries in various stages of history reduced to the status of ill-fated Bengal (under British rule), Kashmir, Sikkim, etc., the toadies like Mir Jafar, Sheikh Abdullah, Nur Mohammad Taraki, Haffiz Ullah Amin, Landup Dorjji are documented as hated traitors. We are to remain vigil and act judiciously so that we are not portrayed like those traitors mentioned above. *
She and her colleagues utterly failed to comprehend the blunder while surrendering those keys. The basic reason is that avoiding the internationally accepted norms they define everything on the basis of their own choice and interest. Many terms like friendship, democracy, independence and sovereignty, even freedom fighters and pro-independence and anti-independence forces, and so on are defined in different way suiting their interest. The critics opine these peculiarities are the revelation of digitalized ambiguities.
On the basis of the utopian digitalized foreign policy the government discovered the interest of the country in denying the Rohingya to enter Bangladesh and push them back what is equivalent to death penalty. The government claims pushing the Rohingyas to the cave of death inside Myanmar it protects the interest of the country. But the same government availing lame excuses forgot the strategic interest of the country when it agreed to provide free naval, road and railway corridors, ports, lands, and even access of Indian Army to Bangladesh. Though these concessions are very crucial to Bangladesh Dipu Monis did so in the name of strengthening and cementing friendship with India.
The inner reason of such one-sided foolish generosity is that India is their personal and party ally, such an ally that openly declared that it will not remain idle if Dipu Monis face any crisis in Bangladesh. India pledges to rescue/ or salvage them. Such report flashes off and on that to rescue Dipu-Monis helicopters, i.e., Indian Air force, are kept ready in Kolkata and Agartala. Dipu Monis never protested such aggressive and defaming official statements and reports. Observers believe such naked assurance is the outcome of those strategically important concessions that were unhesitantly given away to India to keep Bangladesh under Indian grasp. Through such gestures Dipu Monis couldn’t fetch any benefit for Bangladesh, rather seriously compromised the foundation of our sovereignty. Hundreds of instances could be cited to justify how Dipu Monis sacrificed the vital interest of Bangladesh to please their Indian friends. Now the same class denies entrance of the Rohingyas in the name of protecting the interest of Bangladesh. What a sheer mockery it is!
Shelter to the moribund Rohingya Muslims was denied as it will not fetch any returns from any source. So it is unimportant to protect them from sure death. Many analysts who are knowledgeable on the Chanakya (Koutillaya)-policy of India opine that India the former footman of late communism and defunct Soviet Union now leans to America in order to besiege China and impose its (India) supremacy on its neighbouring counties. Observers believe it (India) suggested our policymakers not to shelter the Rohingyas. Its policymakers silently observe the annihilation of the Rohingyas in their doorsteps, as if, nothing happens in Arakan Hills.
Observers believe that India designs to orchestra and prolong meaningless dispute and conflict between Bangladesh-Myanmar to encircle Bangladesh from all sides. The current anti-Rohingya massacre is one of those intrigues. The immediate goal of the present conflict is to isolate Bangladesh further so that Bangladeshi Muslims cannot get shelter in their doorstep Myanmar on the face of any internal turmoil or Indian aggression in the form of rescuing Dipu Monis or crushing the patriots whom the ruling class brands as anti-liberation forces and fundamentalists. It is strongly believed Dipu Monis were asked to deny repeated requests of international community to shelter the Rohingyas in Bangladesh territory.
Observers allege Bangladesh government knowingly undertakes inhuman stand in response to Indian pressure though it is quiet aware that the Rohingya Muslims have little security in their abode. It is the humanistic and moral responsibility to shelter the endangered people irrespective of caste and creed. The inhuman instance that the government sets against the imperiled Rohingyas will be a boomerang, as none of the international community will come forward help us if we ever face such manmade debacle. The far-reaching consequences of government denial to UN, American, Canadian or EU request will isolate us further that may cause our country and people.
Deterrence on the visit of UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) officials to Bangladesh-Myanmar border indirectly brands UN as our rival. Only the future can say what adverse impact it will ascribe on Bangladesh for such unstudied and immature diplomacy. We send thousands of our soldiers under UN Peacekeeping Mission who work in many disturbed regions around the world to deter ethnic violence and political annihilation and restore peace. But we cannot play any meaningful role by providing shelter to the aggrieved and innocent people who standing on our doors and beg and cry to save their lives from communal riots. Rather we make cruel joke with them by providing some food and fuel to ply their boat.
The Non- resident Bangladeshi intellectuals and analysts expressed their deep anguish against the Indian government, the lone ally of the incumbent government that deters it from taking even humanitarian step by providing mere shelter to the Rohingyas in our soil. They alleged that this self-styled fake superpower (?) frequently, pokes its nose into the internal affairs of its neighboring countries, stands ready to rescue its allies in Bangladesh, shelters rebels of Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and sent its soldiers to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan, didn’t utter single word favoring the Rohingyas, not to speak of providing shelter, because such anti-minority massacre occurs in her soil almost daily. They (intellectual and analysts) opine, India’s evil counseling obstructs the AL-led government that prompted the Dipu Monis to denounce American, Canadian, UN or European Union repeated requests to open our border for the fleeing Rohingyas. It is India that also provokes Myanmar not to construct a road through its territory to facilitate Bangladesh to have direct road connection to China and other Southeast Asian countries, as it will reduce Indian business in Bangladesh. That will also frustrate Indian policy of encircling Bangladesh and keeping it within the Indian radar. Persuading the incumbent Sheikh Hasina government, this self-styled fake superpower though hobnobs with America to encircle China conveys this message to America that it is not ready to allow America to play even minimum role in the region and USA bossing will no longer be entertained. India finds USA middling in this region a threat to her (India) hegemonic aspiration.
Dipu Monis’ allege that international community did nothing in repatriating
those Rohingyas who earlier were sheltered in Bangladesh. So Bangladesh has no room to aggravate the burden sheltering the Rohingyas further. Though such allegation is valid, still we can’t allow the fleeing Rohingyas to be killed once they reach our door. Can we hide our diplomatic failure in repatriating the Rohingyas back who are in Bangladesh for years? Did we hold any meaningful and serious dialogue in any international forum on this issue? How many times we asked China, an ally of both Bangladesh and Myanmar help repatriation of the Rohingyas? Did we raise the issue before UN, OIC, even SAARC or any other international or regional body? It is the outcome of the Indianization of our foreign policy. We don’t have any reliable friend around the world. India is a friend of a particular party or parties, but not of Bangladesh and it (India) relentlessly works to keep Bangladesh isolated from the rest of the world. Can we push back the Rohingya refugees unilaterally without international support? Do we have such influence and ability to persuade or force Myanmar to take the Rohingyas back home? If we do have it, why we utterly failed to do that? If we had such power, Myanmar would have never dared to touch the Rohingyas.
The reality is that we lag behind in all aspects. We don’t have power or international lobbying to compel Myanmar to repatriate its nationals. Still we can’t allow the Rohingyas die keeping our door closed. Requesting the international community to play their due to role in expediting early repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, we could table some preconditions that could strengthen us diplomatically and even financially. Through this we could satisfy all the groups. Our present policy will simply isolate us further. We have become friendless and segregated and isolated us. We can’t say who guides us? Who dictates our internal and external policies?
On the other hand, the international community is puzzled while the Muslim world baffled seeing the unusual happenings inside the country. What type of democracy we are practicing? Seeing the digitalized version and prodigy of democracy that includes willful exercise of power, shackling the political dissents, kidnapping, secret killing, remand, trouncing, culture of contrived cases, accumulation of power to an individual, wrangling between the parliament and judiciary, and so on the international community jeers at us.
Their studied conclusion is: how the incumbent government that was democratically elected by the people denies democratic rights to its opponents, tramples down (under police boot) the opposition activists, fastens the activists with rope like cattle, shackles (on the foot of) the dignitaries, lifts the opponents from the streets and vanishes them forever whose near ones don’t know whether they are alive or dead, allows random killing everywhere - from bedroom to the streets - could shelter the alien Rohingya refugees in its soil, as their death matters little to it (government).
We are being isolated from the rest of the world due to all these reasons and above all, the erroneous foreign policy that closes all doors for us. Our foreign policy confines us to the pound of an expansionist ally. We are friend neither of America, nor China. Japan or Muslim World suspects our sincerity. We don’t attach importance to UN. To what destination we are leading to? Many of our tested allies are no more with us. Those who should have sided with us, now are irritated to us. We are folding ourselves from rest of the world and it seems we are being transformed to the status of Bhutan and former Sikkim. Sikkim withered away from the world map about four decades ago. Neither the king nor the premier of Bhutan needs to go abroad, as he has no function and none feels importance to invite him to visit any country, because the international community knows someone controls and performs the external services of Bhutan. Observers apprehend Bangladesh gradually proceeds to that direction.
Real independence and sovereignty of any country is ventilated through its foreign policy. Many observers of home and abroad allege that our foreign policy fatefully encages to Indian orbit. The international community though doesn’t verbally express, but solidly feels who now dictates Bangladesh. It is our responsibility to reverse the mindset of the international community. We must comprehend this reality that a country in the truest sense of the term can’t remain as sovereign if it is dictated and controlled by foreign guardian. Under such situation a country degrades to merely government and flag-centric.
The government of such country is chosen and changed according to the signal and choice of that regulatory guardian. Trade and commerce, internal administration, even culture and literature of such country are controlled by the same mentor. Whatever it desires, the ruling class remains obliged to provide it. If the ruling elites ever behave disloyally, they are replaced by new ones. The new elites also enjoy the blessing of the mentor and act upon its suggestions. The mentor, suiting its interest and intention uses them as the pawns of chess. It is better to brand them as ‘robot’. We don’t desire to be used as robot of any power. We will formulate our vision exercising our sagacity, prudence and talent. We are to justify that the nation that achieved its independence through unprecedented sacrifice can determine and implement our external policies. It will be fallacious if anyone miscalculates us as robot.
In many countries robot-like human beings appear in different ages. Robot doesn’t possess its own intelligence and conscience. It is nothing but a machine. It acts simply according to the programs planted by its user inside it. Such people could also be compared to parrot. A parrot can only utter whatever it is taught and the parrot-like human being does what its mentors tell. He/she can neither exercise his/her own judgment, nor do what should be done. Such mercenaries and vested interests are turned, as if, to something like handicapped. They serve for the mentors at the cost of their national interest. Due to self-centered sabotage of these handicapped surrogates many independent and sovereign countries in various stages of history reduced to the status of ill-fated Bengal (under British rule), Kashmir, Sikkim, etc., the toadies like Mir Jafar, Sheikh Abdullah, Nur Mohammad Taraki, Haffiz Ullah Amin, Landup Dorjji are documented as hated traitors. We are to remain vigil and act judiciously so that we are not portrayed like those traitors mentioned above. *
BY : Mohammad Zainal Abedin.
