| by Swadesh
Roy
( November 30, 2012, Dhaka, Sri Lanka
Guardian) Sheikh Hasina’s denial to join to the D-8 summit of eight developing
countries with large Muslim populations, in Pakistan and some reaction in the inner
circle of Khaleda Zia’s party have indicated that Pakistan is losing its
importance in Bangladeshi politics. On the other hand, India has further
consolidated its position in Bangladesh. Despite being invited by Pakistan’s
foreign affairs minister Hina Rabbani Khan during her Bangladesh visit, Sheikh
Hasina cancelled her trip. A good relation with Pakistan will never prove
beneficial for Hasina’s brand of politics. Her father, the founder of
Bangladesh, tried to mend bridges with Pakistan during the visit of the then
president of Pakistan in Bangladesh. But the then President of Pakistan had
helped in killing Mujib and this strengthened anti liberation forces in
Bangladesh. Apart from that, it is said
that a group of Mujib’s killers are also getting asylum in Pakistan
Besides that, terrorists who operate out of
Canada and America frequently visit Pakistan and contact the militant outfits
of Bangladesh from there. So Pakistan is a haven for Mujib’s Killers. Which is
why Pakistan is never safe for Sheikh Hasina and now it is even more dangerous.
On security grounds it is not advisable for Sheikh Hasina to visit Pakistan
because some of Mujib’s killers still live there, some visit Pakistan
frequently and a group of United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) is reportedly
staying there; and both groups are a threat to Sheikh Hasina’s life. Besides
them, there are many militant groups in Pakistan which are sworn enemies of
Sheikh Hasina, because during her regime, she had eliminated them from
Bangladesh. The country had been a safe haven for them during Khaleda Zia’s
regime. On the other hand, the dreaded militant outfit Jammat-E-Islami is
displaying their might against the present Bangladeshi government because their
prominent leaders are under trial on charges of war crime. It is expected that
the trial of two or their leaders will be over soon and the verdict will be
announced in mid-December. Lawyers and experts feel that they might be
sentenced to death, a fact which has agitated the Jammat-E-Islami and prompted
them to ever greater aggression and insurgency. They have a huge presence in
Pakistan and are life-threatening for Sheikh Hasina. Thus, given the current
circumstances, it is impossible for Sheikh Hasina to visit Pakistan.
However, Sheikh Hasina’s cancellation of the
Pakistan visit shows that she is not too bothered with a good relations with Pakistan; in fact, she
ignores the country. On the other hand, Khaleda Zia is always pro Pakistan. As
a Prime Minister she sent out a condolence message at the death of a Pakistani
general who had fought against Bangladesh in 1971. Besides, it is said that her
party is well-connected with Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI). A
Pakistani general has admitted in court that the ISI helped Khaleda Zia monetarily
during her election. Despite this, Khaleda visited India to seek its blessings
to win the upcoming elections in Bangladesh. Though some of her leaders are
very much critical of her visit, others think that, good relations with India
will help them win the elections. Khaleda Zia’s India visit proves that, she
and a group of her party leaders understand that Pakistan has lost its position
internationally and in the region. On the other hand, India has carved a unique
position for itself internationally basically due to its buoyant economy. At
the last annual summit of the World Bank which was held in Tokyo, the president
of World Bank mentioned India twice or thrice in his plenary address alone. On
the other hand, the finance minister of Bangladesh, a Harvard-educated
economist and the senior most member of the Bangladesh cabinet has said in a
detailed interview with a daily that the decision of the transition is the most
important decision for Bangladesh. It is known that Bangladesh is one party to
the transition while the others are Nepal, Bhutan and India. And it has become
possible due to India. With this, India has consolidated its position
regionally and this position is going to prove helpful for the economical
transformation of the region.
The party which is in power in Bangladesh can
ill afford to avoid this economic transition; rather they have to embrace it.
And they can only embrace it by hugging India. Hence, it is this economic
transition has made the entire difference between India and Pakistan in the
politics of Bangladesh.
Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily
Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangaldesh, he can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com
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