Tanbir Uddin Arman
It is an scrumptious paradox that the US , which in 1971 sent its the 7th fleet to the Bay of Bengal to desist India from militarily assisting the Bangladesh Liberation War, now wants Bangladesh to host the same fleet in order to defend its strategic interests in the region. The question arises as to what factors now place Bangladesh on strategic radar of the US? The answer is short and easy to apprehend. That is – the geo-strategic setting and geopolitical implications of the country, which now induce the US to make it a strategic partner.Geographic location of Bangladesh has made it geopolitically as well as geo-strategically significant in South Asia which is now at the center of international
politics along with Europe, South-East Asia and the already volatile Middle East. Bangladesh is a claimant of sufficient attention while discussing about rising importance of the South
Asia in global politics as it occupies some very crucial part of the region. The country has now attracted America’s attention mainly for two reasons. First one is the possibility of the
rise of religious extremism and the other one is the geo-strategic setting of the country in South Asia and on the edge of the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh is the third and the second largest Muslim majority country in the world and in the region respectively which make it sensitive to the US on the question of religious extremism. The tragic 9/11 has brought out dramatic shifts in the American foreign policy priorities. It has now added new dimensions to the American national security strategy. As a part of national security strengthening, they have tightened domestic immigration policy, and declared ‘global war on terror’ which mainly aims at the rise of Islamic militancy throughout the world. In an interview with “The Politic” journal, Dan W. Mozena – the US Ambassador to Bangladesh- said that America’s strategic engagement with Bangladesh has changed following 9/11. The US now seeks to disrupt and tear down those who threaten the US as well as its allies. Irrespective of its policy during the
Bangladesh liberation war, the US and Bangladesh have now successfully improved bilateral relations in the areas of economy, military, trade, and countering global terrorism.
Recognising Bangladesh as a democratic, secular state , US tries to maintain friendly ties with it, and regards it as a critical strategic partner in South Asia.
Noticeably, the US does not as emphasise a ban on Islamic parties of the country, particularly Jamaat-e- islami and Hefajot-e- islam on their accusation of recent flare-ups of violence in pre and post election phases as the EU does. The US now conceives of the probability of the rise of religious extremism throughout the country and especially in the region already plunged into violent extremism if any sanction be made on them. Democratisation throughout the world is another priority issue of the US foreign policy after the end of the cold war. For instance America’s uninterrupted collaboration with the recent Arab spring.
Therefore, the aforementioned issues – religious extremism and democratisation – have led Bangladesh to surface on the tactical map of the US and its foreign policy.
A comprehensive apprehension of a country’s geographical setting helps one empathise the geo-strategic significance of the country. Bangladesh is almost entirely surrounded by India.
Importantly, its close geographical proximity with China oftentimes vexes the US in a great deal as China is considered as America’s strategic rival in Asia. Thus Bangladesh is a close neighbor
of the two leading members of BRICS, an organization formed with a view to countering the monopolising of power of the US, and undoing her claim of “unipolarity”. In addition,
Bangladesh shares small but crucial land boundary with Myanmar which is a Chinese ally on the other hand. It stands in the Bay of Bengal as a bridge between the two regional blocs- SAARC and ASEAN.
Bangladesh’s geographic setting on the edge of the Bay of Bengal, and its access to Indian ocean entice the US into making it a strategic partner with a view to safeguarding its interests
vis-à-vis China, India, and Myanmar, and allure to establish naval base at Bangladesh’s territorial seas.
However, the establishment of the American naval fleet in the Bay of Bengal would make the region much conflict prone between Washington and Beijing as the latter does have same interests in the region. Moreover, the presence of the US 7th fleet in
Bangladesh’s territorial seas would perhaps be taken as threats to Indian national security, and thus would be perceived to place India in a disadvantageous position. Rijul Singh Uppal, an Indian writer, expresses concern over the possibility that the 7th fleet would undermine the Indian current maritime dominance, and bring all Indian missile test sites on its eastern coast under the direct surveillance of US and China. Rijul suggests New Delhi has to have stab at urging Dhaka not to let the US park the 7th fleet at Bangladesh’s territorial sea in the Bay of Bengal.
China has over the decades improved its relations vis-à-vis the developing countries of Asia as well as Africa. Especially China’s relations with Bangladesh and Pakistan are notable. The US has now been worried about the recent development in Bangladesh- China bilateral relationship. Alongside Russia, China has also agreed to provide Bangladesh with assistances for peaceful
use of nuclear energy for medicine and electricity generation along with military assistance. By expanding its hands of cooperation, China wants to maintain friendly relations with Bangladesh, and uphold its influence on the country. This development often
makes the US vexed since Bangladesh is an effective choice for securing its strategic interests in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
Aforementioned aspects of geo-strategic and geopolitical dimensions of Bangladesh help one empathise with its increasing significance in international politics. The country is now claimant of great appreciation in regional as well as global politics despite its diminutive figure in the global map. Geo-strategic and geopolitical implications of Bangladesh draw the attention of not just the US but also of the other regional and global powers. The politicians and the bureaucrats should now reassess the country’s growing geo-strategic importance. They ought to prioritize the highest national interests over the regime interests while formulating policies vis-à-vis other countries. Generally Bangladesh’s foreign policy is formulated upon the basis of the regime interests. Consequently, regime changes drive to the frequent changes of foreign policy which can contribute less, and /or be proved ineffectual while dickering with other partners on particular issues. Therefore, Bangladesh needs a very viable and consistent foreign policy for securing and upholding its national interests at the international level.
(Tanbir Uddin Arman is a research assistant at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS)
