Dialogue among political parties and signs of cooperation, ahead of the general election, are a massive development for Bangladesh which will help the country rapidly move forward.
“It has been a tremendously positive development. The ruling party alliance, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the other one by Dr Kamal Hossain have been refreshingly different from the others,” former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury said—on “Straight Talk” with Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan.
“This is precisely what we want to see,” he said.
Zafar, the talk show’s host, said that the dialogue between the government and opposition showed maturity.
“There was no dialogue in the run-up to the last election. The opposition spurned the path of dialogue and took up the path of confrontation. None of us was the winner,” he said. “I think this is a positive development.”
When the dialogues began, the people feared a repeat of the past, Abul Hasan noted.
“At the beginning of the dialogue, people thought that the participants would reject the talks. But there was no negative vibe from both sides. It was as though they were giving each other space,” he said, noting that both sides – particularly BNP and Awami League –showed restraint and were cooperative.
‘Bangladesh moving in the right direction’
The country has been doing well in many sectors – particularly in the economic and development sectors – and maintaining a 7% growth rate.
Bangladesh’s political situation has improved compared to the past. “I see much more cooperation. I see us moving in a positive direction,” Zafar said.
Abul Hasan noted that Bangladesh has been maintaining 7% growth. The political alliances all have similar economic goals. “The alliances share many common things … these are great strengths,” he said.
“Many big things are going to happen … there will be big investments. Bangladesh is going to move forward with amazing speed,” he added.
Zafar noted that the opinion polls show that the public thinks the country is moving in the right direction. “By and large, the people think they are certainly better off than they were five or 10 years ago and the economic numbers show that,” he said.
“We are fairly close to middle-income status. If you think about how we were in 1972, right after the independence, this is surely an incredible achievement on our part,” the Dhaka Tribune editor said.
“It is true that we have hunger, we have poverty but no-one starves to death. If you go to the villages, it is an absolute night and day difference from few decades ago,” he added.
‘Economy is what matters’
For Bangladesh, located in a geopolitically strategic location, the big challenge is balancing China and India—two Asian superpowers.
Abul Hasan said the great contributions of India to Bangladesh’s independence are ineffaceable facts of history.
“At the same time, we are grateful for the monumental support India and China have given us over the years … we need China for our development. China and India will develop, if the region develops,” he said.
Zafar said Bangladesh could in fact play a constructive role in bringing together the two Asian giants.
Abul Hasan said that from what he gathered, if Bangladesh had given the Sonadia deep seaport to China, it would have been of great benefit to the country. “Perhaps, the Rohingya issue would have been of a different dimension,” he noted.
It would have been commercially beneficial, too, he said, adding: “India needs our port in Chittagong. The Chinese build these sorts of structures better and quicker than anyone else. If it was commissioned sooner … this would have been beneficial to India.
“It is how you package these things. At the end of the day, economy is what matters and I think the Indians would have understood that.”
‘PM Hasina deserves Nobel prize’
The discussion of the program, aired on Friday morning on Ekattor TV, started with the Rohingya issue.
More than 700,000 Rohingyas fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State after the military launched a brutal crackdown targeting the mainly Muslim ethnic minority, often described as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
The latest influx triggered one of the fastest-growing humanitarian crises in the world.
“It is one of our biggest challenges,” Abul Hasan said. “The issue greatly demonstrated our inner strength.”
He said Bangladesh has tackled the issue well but the role of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has largely been ignored.
“Our prime minister has done so much but she has not been recognized. She has not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize which she deserves,” he added.