The threat to the life of a political leader is like a shadow following him or her constantly. It’s said in the assassin’s world that the target needs all the luck, all the time. The assassin needs it only once.
The killing of leaders, especially those sitting at the helm of power, is a global phenomenon from times immemorial. It happened in Bangladesh too. Two of our leaders fell by the bullets of assassins. Our present prime minister also encountered several attempts at her life.
Japan is a country that, especially in the period since WWII, has remained immune from such tragedy, until July 8, 2022 when one of its greatest post-war prime ministers, Shinzo Abe, succumbed to his death after being shot by a lone gunman. In his sad demise, ironically, he set two completely diametrically opposite records -- being the youngest and longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan and the only PM to be assassinated following WWII.
As is my long habit, I switched on my TV at eight in the morning to catch up with the latest news and I couldn't believe my eyes reading in the scroll that Mr Abe had been shot by a gunman, while on election hustings campaigning for a party candidate for the Upper House, in Nara, an ancient city of Japan. The report said that he was shot by two bullets and his vitals were missing; I knew in my mind it was just a euphemism and perhaps he is no more, but I was praying that he survives.
Subsequent reports mentioned that the incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rushed to the hospital in Tokyo, where Abe was taken. Soon after came the devastating news that he was no more, sending a shock wave to the entire nation and the world. A lot of fingers are being pointed at the security officials -- that the security protocol was insufficient, thus exposing him to such a lethal threat.
Global reaction
Messages of condolences started pouring in from all over the world, including the president and the prime minister of Bangladesh. As a mark of respect to Mr Abe, the government of Bangladesh declared a day of state mourning. The national flag flew at half-mast all over the country and there were special prayers in the mosques and other places of worship across the country.
In China, where Mr Abe is seen as more of a historical revanchist, although the government issued a measured statement of being “shocked” at the news and extended sympathy, the mood on social media, however, was celebratory.
Early Life
Born to a prominent and political family in 1954, Mr Abe’s political indoctrination commenced from his early childhood watching his maternal grandfather Nobusuke Kishi serving as prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960, which left an indelible political influence on the young Abe. Mr Kishi, a staunch nationalist, reportedly had a spat with the US framers of the Postwar Japanese Constitution over certain articles.
He was also the founder of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP), which ruled the country continuously from 1955 till date except for a hiatus between 1993 to 1994 and 2009 to 2012. His paternal grandfather Kan Abe was a rich landowner and also served in the House of Representatives during WWII. His father Shintaro Abe served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1991, with stints as Chief Cabinet Secretary and other ministerial portfolios including the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Political career
Upon completion of his studies in Japan and the United States, Mr Abe joined the private sector in 1979 before stepping into the government, first becoming an executive assistant to the minister of foreign affairs in 1982. He didn’t have to look back anymore and his political star kept on ascending higher and higher.
He entered the Japanese Parliament as a rookie after winning a seat in 1993. He was reelected in 1996. In 2003, he was appointed General Secretary of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), cementing the general perception that he is a potential future prime minister.
When I took up my assignment as Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan, in June 2006, Mr Abe was holding the appointment of Chief Cabinet Secretary, literally the second most powerful political position after Prime Minister Junichiro Koijumi. Because of certain political dynamics, the cabinet secretary sometimes could exert more influence than the prime minister himself.
On September 26, 2006, he was elected prime minister of Japan by the ruling party defeating several party stalwarts. However, his tenure didn’t last very long. He resigned from the office, reportedly on health grounds, after a little over a year. Nonetheless, he retained his parliamentary seat and gradually resumed his work.
Re-energized and regaining his confidence, Mr Abe slowly recaptured the centre stage of the ruling party and made a fresh attempt to vie for the premiership. He made an unprecedented comeback in 2012, defeating a formidable opponent and continued to serve as the prime minister until his voluntary retirement in September 2020, again on health grounds.
The long tenure of Mr Abe, though, wasn't free of controversy, and without any doubt, left a lasting legacy.
Political legacy
Given his childhood upbringing and political inclination inculcated from his grandfather, he too was a staunchly conservative, more on the right-wing side, and a thorough nationalist.
His policies related to nuclear energy, the revival of Article 9 of the constitution that constricted the expansion of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and imposed a pacifist doctrine, enactment of Security Reform Legislation -- enabling the Japanese SDF to join the American-led collective security exercise and despatching for the first-time SDF personnel, albeit unarmed for humanitarian tasks in the warzones of Iraq and Afghanistan -- reflected his political philosophy.
His contrary views on the war history and role of Japan in Korea and China and his visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine elicited much opprobrium from the two countries. Yet, he managed to architect a balanced relationship with both the countries in the areas of economics and investment.
He secured a bigger international role for Japan, making its voice heard. The much-debated QUAD, short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, was initiated by Japan in 2007. Japan is a strong proponent of Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), a euphemism for countering Chinese “military and economic hegemony” in the region and beyond. As a sequel to the Quad, the member countries also launched a new economic grouping in Tokyo, in May this year, called the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum (IPEF).
Bangladesh has since come under considerable pressure and allurement to join the forum.
In order to revamp the Japanese economy which was reeling from decades of stagnation, Mr Abe introduced an ambitious economic reform called “Abenomics” which contained three major features -- monetary policy, fiscal stimulus, and structural reforms -- among a raft of other policy measures. Notwithstanding a certain amount of criticism, the economic policies introduced by Mr Abe have proved to be beneficial, creating a healthy foundation upon which further augmented measures can be adopted.
To encourage more women’s participation in mainstream economic activities, Prime Minister Abe lent necessary political and policy support to a novel concept called “Womenomics” conceived and propagated by Ms Kathy Matsui, contributing to the nation’s economic recovery.
Mr Abe’s government was also not without facing great challenges such as the 2011 tsunami triggering an explosion in the Fukushima Nuclear power plant, major flooding in 2016, and finally, the onslaught of Covid-19. His measure of test and leadership abilities faced close public scrutiny and he surmounted all the challenges largely with a favourable opinion.
Japan-Bangladesh bilateral relations
Japan has historically been the number one single country development partner of Bangladesh. However, it can safely be argued that during Mr Abe's second term in office from 2012 to 2020, the relationship between the two countries experienced an exponential rise, covering a wide range of areas of cooperation including economic, political, and people-to-people interactions.
His visit to Bangladesh in September 2014, leading a very powerful business delegation comprising chairmen, CEOs , and presidents of the 200 top companies in Japan, was a clear manifestation of his faith and confidence in Bangladesh's future as well as lending an official endorsement and encouragement to the Japanese business houses to invest and doing business with the country.
His support for Bangladesh wasn’t confined to mere rhetoric and diplomatic showmanship; he also backed it by declaring a jaw-dropping commitment of $6 billion towards the development of the energy and infrastructure sectors of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also complimented Mr Abe’s goodwill gestures by making several visits to Japan, further boosting our ties.
Since then, our two countries' cooperation, except for a brief slowdown due to the tragic killing of seven Japanese nationals by the Islamic militants in July 2016, has been experiencing a continuous upward trajectory.
The mega-projects financed by Japan include MatarBari power plants, Matarbari deep sea port, Dhaka Metro Rail, the special economic zone in Arai Hajar, near Narayanganj, and an extension of Shahjalal International Airport, among others. Only recently, the Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka, Mr Naoki Ito, announced that Japan is willing to build a second Padma bridge and also cooperate in the completion of the Rooppur nuclear power plant.
In total, the Japanese financial assistance to Bangladesh has crossed$15bn. FDI from Japan has also increased in Bangladesh and some 300+ Japanese companies are currently operating in the country.
The author and his wife with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie AbeMy relationship with Prime Minister Abe
One of the major tasks of an envoy is to cultivate personal relationships with the top leaders in the host country, to leverage that connection to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
In that respect, I was privileged to develop a personal relationship with Mr Abe. Our relationship was especially strengthened when he resigned for the first time in 2007, making it easier to see him than when he was prime minister.
We had several occasions to dine together, sometimes just the two of us, discussing Japan’s politics and international issues as well as Bangladesh - Japan ties. I found him nurturing great respect for Bangladesh in his heart. He said he was energized by our War of Liberation and our perseverance to build a nation from the ruination of a devastating war.
He would often refer to the hard times faced by Japan following the end of WWII and underlined a niche parallel to empathize with Bangladesh. One day he told me: “I haven’t given up my ambition of becoming prime minister again.” I was sceptical but reserved my comment. He added that when he becomes prime minister again, he will visit Bangladesh.
I told him, “Abe-san, I will never forget your promise and when the day comes, I will remind you of today’s conversation.”
I later asked one of the senior Japanese politicians if Mr Abe could return to the highest office. The gentleman brushed the suggestion aside saying that it was simply a fantasy.
I left Japan in April 2010, nonetheless, we kept in touch. I knew he was making serious efforts to make a comeback and he did succeed in realizing his passion and ambition, winning the election in 2012 with a landslide victory, paving the way to becoming the longest-serving prime minister of Japan.
The day he became the Prime Minister again, I was visiting my village home. I hesitantly called him on his mobile, being unsure if he would receive the call. To my pleasant surprise, I heard his voice from the other end, giving me a huge sense of elation and gratitude. In the minute-long conversation, I congratulated him on his perseverance and success, and also reminded him of his pledge to visit Bangladesh. He reassured me: “Ambassador, I haven't forgotten and I will keep my commitment at a suitable time.”
After that brief conversation, I never tried to call him, knowing that it wouldn’t be appropriate. Then suddenly, sometime in late August 2014, I received a call from his secretary informing me that Mr Abe would be visiting Bangladesh shortly and he expressed his wish to meet me. The secretary added that the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka would contact me to inform me of the date, time, and venue of the meeting. I told him that it would be a great personal honour for me. After the call was over I tried to figure out if it was real or if I was dreaming.
As advised by the Japanese Embassy, I arrived at the Hotel Sonargaon suite, where Mr Abe was staying on September 6, 2014. The prime minister received me with a warm welcome. We talked for about 20 minutes, mostly him sharing with me his impression of Bangladesh gained from the visit. He profusely praised our prime minister for her strong and visionary leadership.
He told me that given the geostrategic location of Bangladesh, he visualizes a great potential for the country and its positioning as a critical and vital pivot for regional connectivity. He assured me that in the road of development, Japan would always stand by Bangladesh.
I thanked him for his positive sentiment about Bangladesh. And since his visit, we have been watching the transformation of Japan-Bangladesh bilateral relations.
As it was time for them to depart for the airport for their next leg of the journey to Sri Lanka, his wife Akie Abe suddenly appeared in the meeting room. Mrs Abe gave him a smiling look, saying that she knew me very well. It may be mentioned here that Mrs Abe is a great champion of the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, and she organized a few fundraising events at my house and our embassy in Tokyo with my wife’s support. It’s also mentionable that during my two subsequent visits to Japan in 2016 and 2018, he forked out time to see me in his office.
Adios, Abe-san. In your unfortunate and untimely demise, not only did Japan lose a great leader, but we in Bangladesh too have lost a genuine friend. You left many of us crying. You can surely watch from heaven how much grieving and mourning this country is going through.
I will urge our government to name a major street in the diplomatic zones in Baridhara or Gulshan after Mr Shinzo Abe, as a token of our love and respect for him.
Rest in peace, dear friend, dear prime minister.
Ashraf ud Doula is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan.