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TRULY YOURS How did Kerry find our PM?
Mohammad Ali Sattar
John Kerry’s short trip to Bangladesh has been interesting. He came in for just little over seven hours and had a hectic schedule to meet up.
However brief may be the stay any visit by an American top state official is significant. These visits come either following a certain incident or action or prior to something happening here. So these visits always create interest.
We have seen quite a number of visits by the state administration officials over the last one year. One name has become familiar with us – that is of Nisha Desai Biswal , Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the US Department of State. She has been visiting us for reasons that have become all too obvious.
According to press reports Secretary Kerry had quite interesting exchanges with our Prime minster. Kerry, upon his arrival in Dhaka, had paid respect to the memory of the father of the nation at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
He then met the prime minister and it was when he said he was moved by the “simplicity of lifestyle” of Bangabandhu. In this regard he expressed his condolences and said “I was moved’. He also said to the PM that he understood the pain of August 15 (1975) killing of her parents and family.
Dialogue he had with Sheikh Hasina has been straight forward. He regretted the previous US stands on Bangladesh issues. He mentioned that the US might have made mistakes, but they now want to address those mistakes.
When our Prime Minister, in her usual style, told him that she knew US would not give GSP to Bangladesh, a baffled Kerry assured that they were looking into it.
But the PM was sterner in making Bangladesh’s demands. She said ‘we don’t want this GSP. We want duty-free and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products and services to the American market as you are providing to African least developed countries.’ It may be mentioned that US president Barrack Obama suspended GSP privilege for Bangladeshi products in June 2013 for ‘Bangladesh’s failure to meet workers rights’.
Secretary Kerry was also requested to arrange the extradition of Bangabondhu’s killer in US. He assured Sheikh Hasina that he would look into this matter after his return to Washington DC.
John Kerry was more interested in having an assurance from our side about working together on fighting terror. What exactly the US is planning for this program we don’t know yet. Our PM was rather right when she insisted on ‘intelligence sharing for now’. She is reported to have said that we shall ask for US help when we need.
So far the question of terror issue is concerned; we have our own fears and apprehensions. Recent events in the Middle Eastern countries are not sweet. The unbridled interference by US and western powers in the region and senseless wars carried out by the pro- and anti government forces in these countries has led to severe geo-political crisis.
The regime change policy of the US has actually not helped democracy or development. Rather the entire region has plunged into wars, killings and devastation followed by mass migration and severe placement crisis.
Bangladesh should also keep close watch on US moves. The government of Sheikh Hasina appears to be cautious. Anyway, the relations between the Awami League government and the US administration are not its best for sure.
With the possibility of Hillary coming to white house the equations will change further. The Awami League led government might be facing tougher times with Hillary in the White House.
So we are surely facing significant changes in the coming year. Even if Trump lands in the White House we could face situations of entirely different nature and that too might not be affable. Only time will tell what’s up for us and the government.
Kerry’s meeting with Khaleda Zia was also out of the ordinary. This is for the first time that an opposition leader meets high US official inside the US embassy premises.
I was bemused by press reports that Kerry said US will help Bangladesh restore democracy. If Kerry was impressed by Hasina governments performance and if it did not carry grudge about the last national polls in which BNP and other parties did not participate, then why did he express his concern about democracy in Bangladesh in his meeting with Khaleda Zia?
May be he preferred to keep quiet about this issue with Hasina. The main point was to offer cooperation in combating terrorism. So talking about democracy was not pertinent this time.
When time comes once again Kerry and others will raise the issues of human rights, secular thoughts, free minds, democracy, inclusive polls and so on. For now US is more interested to indulge in anti terror activities with our government. It wants more space inside our premises. We wait for the next move by our government.
Email: malisattar@outlook.com