Over the course of the next year, the US will give Bangladesh patrol boats, hull boats, and unmanned air vehicles to aid the nation in carrying out UN duties and defending its sovereignty.
Peter Haas, the US ambassador to Bangladesh, made this statement on July 30 when discussing US foreign policy and how it affects Bangladesh at the Defence Services Command and Staff College.
“We anticipate delivering the very effective Blackjack UAS [drones], 35-foot SAFE Patrol Boats, and further Zodiac Rigid Hull Boats throughout the course of the upcoming year.”
According to him, the US largely supports Bangladesh's capacity-building through grant programs like the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative and Foreign Military Financing.
Haas outlined the US's strategy in Bangladesh in terms of five broad objectives, which are to support a stable and peaceful Bangladesh, advance democracy and human rights, increase economic prosperity, offer humanitarian protection, and create a Bangladesh that is socially and environmentally resilient.
The US envoy declared their commitment to maintaining the Indo-Pacific region's freedom, openness, peace, and security.
In order to do this, he continued, the US military frequently collaborates with the Bangladeshi military to improve both the preparedness of our military forces' defenses and their overall collaboration.
Bangladesh now has a ton of brand-new military hardware from the US, thanks to the assistance of its Special Operations, Army, Navy, and Air Force divisions. Four C-130B aircraft, four Somudra Joy and Somudra Avijan frigates, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles, and bomb robots were all delivered by the US.
When the moment is right, according to Peter Haas, the US is prepared to sell advanced military equipment to Bangladesh.
The fact that Bangladesh's Indo-Pacific Outlook outlines Bangladesh's aim for a "free, open, peaceful, safe, and inclusive Indo-Pacific for the shared prosperity of everyone," he added, is encouraging. The outlook has a lot of information that is similar to the US vision for the Indo-Pacific, according to Haas.
Close cooperation
In South Asia, Bangladesh is an important American ally. Bangladesh just announced its 15-point Indo-Pacific strategy. The two nations work closely together on issues like climate change, counterterrorism, and regional and global security. Bangladesh has contributed significantly to the Obama administration's key foreign development initiatives in the areas of environment, healthcare, and food security. The two nations signed a strategic communication pact in 2012. The US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, lauded the relationship as "vibrant, varied, and significant" in 2015.
The United States is one of Bangladesh's most significant strategic military allies. Bangladesh and the United States are working together more and more on defense. Particularly in the Bay of Bengal region, regular joint exercises are carried out. The Bangladesh Armed Forces are frequently engaged with the United States Pacific Command. The elite SWADS marine unit of the Bangladesh Navy, which is modeled after American and South Korean special forces, was also formed with help from the US.
Bangladesh is the world's greatest contributor to UN peacekeeping efforts. The US's financing of Bangladeshi peacekeeping deployments has been quite advantageous.
The US-Bangladesh relationship is based on robust and growing economic connections between the two countries. Over the past 50 years, Bangladesh's economy has unexpectedly become one of the fastest-growing in the world. With a growth rate of 7.2% in 2022, Bangladesh is on course to overtake the United States as the 24th-largest economy in the world in ten years. Development and foreign direct investments are the foundations of Bangladesh's resilience and progress, and the United States continues to be a committed partner.
The Biden-Harris administration has prioritized economic connection in the Indo-Pacific. Bilateral ties are also centred on shared democratic ideals, free enterprise, robust supply networks, and the prosperity and health of the populations of both nations.
As we commemorate 50 years of US-Bangladesh ties, we see significant areas of engagement that may be enhanced to increase military and security cooperation.
This was particularly true during the pandemic, when Bangladesh sent more than 6 million pieces of personal protective equipment to the US during the first devastating Covid-19 wave.
Stronger defenses despite prohibitions
However, ties between the United States and Bangladesh have been more difficult in recent years. On December 10, 2021, Washington placed sanctions on Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and a number of its current and past officers. A new visa policy has been announced by the US for Bangladesh. The USA and Bangladesh have some contentious connections.
Peter Hass' statement is particularly important among these. Washington could still view Dhaka as a regional security partner, though. Now, the US wants to establish a strategic alliance with Bangladesh. This may improve the defense relations between the two countries and defense cooperation between nations might strengthen bilateral relationships.
Both the USA and Bangladesh are essential to the area. This sent the message that both nations are highly interested in further solidifying their bilateral ties despite having certain bilateral issues. This might assist in resolving bilateral issues. To solve some mutual issues, Bangladesh and the USA must work together as reliable partners.
President of the United States Joe Biden has already expressed his conviction that the partnership between Dhaka and Washington will endure for the next 50 years and beyond.
The US president wrote in a letter to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that "our defense cooperation is stronger than ever," adding that the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy are crucial allies in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region and helping the region fight against illicit drug and human trafficking.
The US has given Bangladesh $7.29 million in aid for international military education and training (IMET) since 2015, and $66.7m in foreign military financing (FMF), according to official US government websites. For the Bay of Bengal Initiative, FMF financing totals $56.9m in regional FMF and $10m in bilateral initiatives.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative of the Department of State seeks to strengthen civilian and military actors' capacity to identify illicit activity within their borders and in the region through FMF support. It also aims to help our partners establish a rules-based order in the Indian Ocean Region by helping to create networks and habits of cooperation among nations.
US security assistance to Bangladesh has enhanced maritime security, freedom of navigation, and disaster response and humanitarian assistance capabilities in support of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Bangladesh Navy's fast patrol boats and ex-US Coast Guard cutters have had their electronic and mechanical systems upgraded thanks to these funds, which have also been used for international peacekeeping and border security missions, technical and professional training for Bangladesh military and Coast Guard personnel, and joint military drills.
Bangladesh's attempts to increase its understanding of and command over the marine domain have benefited greatly from this support. Recently the chief of the Bangladesh Army made trips to the USA. The two forces' similar interests were reviewed at the sessions, including UN peacekeeping deployments and post-disaster humanitarian help.
The Bangladeshi government, the USA as a world power, and the UN should work more cooperatively to strengthen the Bangladesh peacekeeping front by giving Bangladeshi peacekeepers access to top-notch training facilities and arming them with cutting-edge weapons to uphold Bangladesh's international reputation, glory, and prestige in its contribution to world peace and global stability. Instead of adopting a prohibition mentality, the US could and must work with Bangladesh to maintain effective peacekeeping deployments.
Lacruix, head of the UN peacekeeping mission, expressed interest in adding additional Bangladeshi peacekeepers to the organization as a consequence. The commander of the Bangladeshi army demanded that the Bangladeshi contingents of the UN peacekeeping force replace their outdated weapons and gear with fresh supplies from Bangladesh.
By providing defense supplies and training, the US wants to aid Bangladesh in modernizing and institutionalizing its armed forces. The signing of the GSOMIA and ACSA defense treaties, which provide the groundwork for defense trade and cooperation, was emphasized by the United States.
However, joint exercises between two armies and training for defense professionals make up the majority of the US military support provided to Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Armed Forces are frequently engaged with the United States Pacific Command.
Sheikh Hasina had a visit from US Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, who among other things reviewed military cooperation between the two nations. After the conclusion of the "Security Partnership Dialogue" in April 2022 in Dhaka, the commander of the Bangladeshi army visited the US. The United States and Bangladesh both benefited greatly from this visit. Through this visit, the United States and Bangladesh have further reinforced their defense relations.
Anup Sinha is a researcher specializing in South Asian affairs.
