By Ashis Biswas
KOLKATA: Now that Indian Foreign Secretary Mr. Vikram Misri’s trip to Dhaka is done and dusted, it can be safely asserted that during the somewhat tense bilateral exchanges that followed , despite their poor governance in dealing with the recent anti-Hindu riots, there was no noticeable cringing on part of Bangladeshi officials.. Seven days have passed since December 9 meeting but the trends tell that the instead of restoring trade ties, Yunus regime is looking for Pakistan and other countries for replacing Indian goods imports.
At this first serious official bilateral interaction between two major South Asian countries after the August 5 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, both sides moved with extra care, taking each other’s measure. No wonder that at their separate official briefings, both sides stuck to their stated positions, with only one minor concession made by the new caretaker administration about the attacks against minorities. While first impressions about major diplomatic events are often misleading, there was not much doubt that the familiar warmth of earlier Indo-Bangla meetings was missing. Perhaps the new non Awami League administrators pointedly discouraged any effusiveness to make it clear to India that things would not be the same as before.
The only significant gain from Misri’s visit from Delhi’s standpoint came in the form of an official Bangladeshi announcement. After stoutly denying its administrative incompetence, for weeks, the caretaker government finally conceded that Hindus had been indeed attacked in Bangladesh. Authorities belatedly acknowledged 88 cases of anti-minority rioting/mob attacks in recent weeks, while the number of arrests made was relatively low at 70!
These figures, not surprisingly generated a fresh controversy. The Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council of Bangladesh reported that during the 16 days period beginning from August 4, they had received 2010 specific complaints of mob attacks including damage caused to 69 temples. Similar data collected by other HR groups were also far in excess of what the Yunus-led team of officials have released. By now, some analysts estimate that the number of attacks — still continuing, by the way — now exceeds 3000. Significantly the figures released by Bangladesh rulers, judging by the repeated appeals coming from Washington have seemingly not been accepted at their face value in the West either. .
In sum, this was the only tangible gain resulting from Misri’s mission made, from India’s point of view. On his part, Mr Misry made the briefest of references to the burning issue of the times — the palpably vindictive arrest and subsequent harassment of ex ISCKON head Chinmoy Das Brahmachari, Both sides promised to bring down rising political temperatures by taking steps to mend and take forward good relations as in the past. Priority would be given to resuming normal relationship as early as possible and reviving normal trade as before.
Yet, the Foreign Secretary level talks, important as it was in the sense of breaking the ice between two currently uneasy regional neighbours, have not yielded any substance, apart from the ritual promises. The main reason is, present , developments at the grassroot level have so far belied the mutual trust and hopes expressed tentatively , in both countries. Mob violence continues in Bangladesh, so does inflation and the increasing misery among the poor people whose number as estimated by politicians could be as high as 60 million! Instead of attending to the acute distress among common people, top political leaders, even as they continue their anti-India tirade, are taking potshots against the Yunus-led regime. Team Yunus has almost no control over the law and order situation!
Thus the top level bilateral meeting, followed by an official statement from Minister of External Affairs, Mr. S. Jaishankar, in Parliament on the situation in Bangladesh, brought no comfort to the targeted minority Hindus, stranded there or the officially persecuted monk. Worse, regardless of official assurances to revive mutual trade at the earliest, Dhaka-based officials have initiated steps to reduce purchases of essential items from India.
They propose to increase their imports from Pakistan, regardless of what the advisers’ told Mr. Misri, about the urgency of reviving bilateral trade. Talks are on with, the UAE Turkey and other countries, regarding imports, according to Dhaka based trade sources. Naturally, people wonder whether there is any official coordination at the policy-making level in Bangladesh. Does the Chief Adviser Dr Yunus have any authority of his own, or is he being misguided by a set of apparently inefficient advisers — is a question that is discussed openly.
The facts speak for themselves. Never mind the Bangladeshi assurances about taking steps against religious fanatics who have continued their anti-Hindu terror campaign. Even at this writing, days after the high level talks, major attacks on Hindu temples and properties have been reported in the Bangladeshi media from Chittagong and other areas. As usual, the local police do not seem to function!
Even more concerning for policymakers on both sides of the border is the continuing trend of hate speeches and raw abuse emanating from senior politicians , by way of political rhetoric. If West Bengal-based leaders amuse themselves by repeatedly referring to the other side as a land of beggars, Bangladeshis respond by threatening to kick out every Indian in the days ahead!
Despite the best efforts made by Dhaka-based authorities to suppress details of widespread public distress owing to rising prices, which has been the cost of basic vegetables, eggs and milk increase between 4 to 15% during the past few weeks, inflation continues to plague Bangladesh as badly as ever. Despite some supplies from India again, Bangladesh has reportedly ordered large quantities of sugar from Pakistan. Local politicians are talking about bulk purchase of potatoes, tomatoes and ginger from Turkey, Myanmar and China! Some time ago, a so-called medical expert who runs a youtube channel, urged Bangladeshis not to go to India any more for treatment, but visit doctors in Singapore and Thailand instead — he stopped only after locals reacted abusively, reminding him of the much higher costs involved!
There was no reason to suppose, given the coldness that had crept into the Indo-Bangla ties after August 5, that Dhaka’s crime stats were released because of mounting pressure from India. .Apparently intense international diplomatic pressure especially from the US and EU countries, and the worldwide proliferation of shocking videos of prolonged anti-Hindu rioting, had forced Yunus’s hands. Dhaka -based officials felt they had no choice but to make some explanation for the obvious failure of governance.
As attention shifted to the latest much reduced figures offered by the caretaker government, Bangladeshi claims stressing that the Indian reaction against team Yunus and the present administration had been somewhat exaggerated , seemed a shade more plausible. ..
The release of the first official Bangladeshi figures relating to the chaotic law and order situation, dubious as they were, at least exposed the unreliability of Dhaka’s own earlier narrative against the Indian media. Dhaka’s reluctant admission that ‘something had indeed occurred’ was unmistakably a step backward, a palpable retreat. (IPA Service)
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