The US secretary of navy Ray Mabus paid a ‘silent’ but
significant visit to Dhaka. There are two aspects regarding the media attention
to this news- one, this visit got less attention than it actually deserved and
then, it got better attention in foreign news agencies then the news agencies
of Bangladesh. Probably, this visit had no ‘media merit’ in the eyes of
Bangladeshi media professionals because; they took it as a less important
matter than the visit of an Indian film star. In the contrary, this visit has a
huge significance if we consider the developments that have been taking places
in South Asia and in South East Asia for last a few months. Almost a month
before a news jolted the ministry of foreign affairs in Bangladesh. This news
was regarding harboring of US Seventh Fleet in Chittagong. An Indian news
agency claimed that the US had proposed Bangladesh to harbor its Seventh fleet
in Chittagong port. But Bangladesh completely declined the claim. Now, how
should this visit be taken in backdrop of such complex developments?
Let’s have some glimpses in the last visit paid by the US
secretary of Navy. An eight-member US delegation, led by Ray Mobus, called on
Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed and later with Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the meeting with the Vice Admiral they exchanged
pleasantries and discussed matters on professional interest. Acquiring warship and ultra modern ocean
survey ship from USA and assistance in the field of professional training also
came up for discussion. Sheikh Hasina said her government wants the
Bangladesh Navy to extract marine resources following the victory on maritime
dispute over Myanmar. The Prime Minister also stressed
the need for strengthening cooperation between the naval forces of Bangladesh
and the USA. Mobus also laid emphasis on strengthening cooperation between the
naval forces of Bangladesh and the USA. Was there any clandestine intention
behind the façade of formalities?
Bangladesh’s location in the basin of Bay of Bengal gives it
a much more privileges to be an important country in the region. Bay of Bengal is the largest bay in the
world which forms
the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Historic victory at the UN maritime tribunal, Bangladesh
has won territorial and economic rights to the vast Bay of Bengal resources
even beyond it bargained for. This achievement has given Bangladesh an upper
hand to strengthen its position strategically-economically, to some extent,
politically in South Asia and in a broader sense in global stage. The Bay of Bengal
is more significant in regards of its location in the Indian Ocean. According
to Robert D Kaplan, Indian Ocean will be the centre of global conflicts,
because most international business, supply will be conducted through this
route. Most important of all, it is in the Indian Ocean that the interests and
influence of India, China and the United States are beginning to overlap and
intersect. It is here, as Kaplan says, that the 21st century’s “global power
dynamics will be revealed.” According to Kaplan two key players in this
region are India and China. India is moving east and west while China to the
South. Interestingly these, relatively new political players are making the
Indo-Pacific into a heaven of “RealPolitik’. And lone Superpower the US is also
on a process to shift its focus from the Middle East to this region.
The recent cynosure
of global powers has added some new dimensions to this particular region. More
importantly the government of Bangladesh is now considering the urgency of
securing the Bay of Bengal to secure the national interest there. The natural
resources i.e. petroleum carbon, marine fisheries of the Bay of Bengal are
component of future economic development of Bangladesh. Very much frequently we
find in national dailies reporting that infiltration of foreign fishermen is
illegally taking place while fishing within the jurisdiction of Bangladesh. And
Bangladeshi coast men are helpless as they couldn’t reach deep water with their
age old boats to chase those bigots. Though lately, but still something to be
optimistic regarding that the government of Bangladesh has taken some
initiatives to modernize its Navy. The
Government of Bangladesh announced an ambitious defense procurement plan in
February 2009 for a major purchase of weaponry, equipment and hardware for its
armed forces, including anti-tank and anti-ship missile systems, aircraft for
maritime patrol, frigates, tanks and helicopters to turn the force into a
‘three dimensional force’.
The US will find it viable to join into the process of
modernization of Bangladesh Navy by providing with training, selling their
‘outmoded’ equipments and forging relationship to a new height. This will help
the US Navy to come closer to Bangladesh Navy. To get an upper hand in the
Indian Ocean, Bangladesh is a good option for the US just after India. There is
already a bonhomie relationship between India and Bangladesh and no exception, concerning
India and the US. Therefore, India also won’t mind to bring Bangladesh into the
‘circle’ of ‘friends’. India and the US would like to see Bangladesh out of
‘string of pearls’. From the Bangladesh
point of view this is a good development to get some ‘big friends’ besides and
enjoys some benefits. In near future probably Bangladesh will continue to
receive more foreign high-ups. But at the same time it has to be very much
conscious while dealing with them. There has to be a policy of balancing.
Tilting towards a particular group would be a blunder. So in epilogue it can be
said that a ‘tricky’ and ordeal time ahead for foreign policy decision makers
in Bangladesh and we can only wish that they will prove their ‘character’ for
Bangladesh’s national interest.
An edited version of this article was published on 28th July 2012
