Increase engagement with US to serve national interest: Stakeholders

Bangladesh should increase engagement with the United States (US) in the light of a balanced foreign policy to serve national interests, stakeholders said at a roundtable on Saturday. 

Although Bangladesh's relations with the US have been under strain at various times over various issues, including opposition to the Bangladesh Liberation War at the state level in 1971, engagement with the country should be increased in the light of a balanced foreign policy to protect national interests, they noted.

"Vietnam once was an enemy of the USA. But now they have built friendships from enmity. There have been free trade agreements between the countries. In the same way, we have to engage with the US through a pragmatic approach to uphold the national interest," said former foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury at the event titled "American Politics in Bangladesh: 1971 to 2022" at Dhaka Gallery, organised by the Editors Guild, Bangladesh.

"Earlier, there was the Bangladesh Caucus formed by the US senators, but it has been inactive for a decade. We should activate the forum to find a way to lobby there, which may help reduce the country's pressure on Bangladesh," he added, who was also the former ambassador of Bangladesh to the USA.

Mofidul Hoque, trustee, Liberation War Museum, said, "In 1971, the then US government, mostly Henry Kissinger, took position against our liberation War. However, the US policy has changed later towards our independence. They recognised Bangladesh in 1972 and senator Edward Kennedy visited our country in the same year." 

Recently, his son Ted Kennedy visited Bangladesh in a state visit, which is a sign of policy shifting of the US, he continued.                              

"We have to take advantage of these policy shifts. However, we are still lagging behind in collecting documented evidence from the US related to our liberation War," he added.                                                                       

The USA has special focus on Bangladesh due to our geo-strategic position in the Indian Ocean, said Prof Abdul Mannan, former chairman of University Grant Commission, adding, "We also have trade interests as the country is our largest export destination. So, Bangladesh has to continue the engagement with the US following our policy - 'friendship to all, malice to none'."                                 

Historian Prof Syed Anwar Hossain said, "The US is now practising geopolitics after having deviated from the goals of its founding Fathers. Even in 1971, there was a contrast between the role of their people and the government on the Bangladesh issue. The USA has now changed."

The US opposition to the liberation war in 1917 will not stand in the way of moving bilateral relations forward, he added.

"The US policies do swing, depending on their national interest. However, we could not lobby to strengthen our engagements," said former ambassador Nasim Firdaus.                                                                                   

AH Mofazzal Karim, former secretary and ambassador, said, "The US considers itself the king of the world. But we do not have to be neck and neck, rather we have to keep a balance."

Mozammel Babu, president of Editors Guild, Bangladesh was the moderator while cultural personality Nasiruddin Yousuff Bacchu also spoke at the event.