Boosting US-Bangladesh relations
Dhaka, January 17, 2007 : Bangladesh is the second largest Muslim democratic country in the world after Indonesia. Although the US' relationship with Bangladesh was initially troubled because of strong US-Pakistan ties, the friendship and support developed quickly afterwards. Mr. Archer Kent Blood, who was the US Consul General in Dhaka in the then East Pakistan in 1971 reported the truth and supported rights of people of this country even at the expense of his own career.
Bangladesh was founded as a secular state, on a regional identity -- Bengali, both Muslim and Hindu -- and not on a religious identity. The US recognised Bangladesh in April 1972.
US-Bangladesh relations today can be described as a special relationship. Bangladesh always desires to strengthen relations with US. Her bilateral relations with the US are clearly a matter of highest priority. It is equally highly important to US also that democracy, Islam and moderation can co-exist, as it does in Bangladesh today.
Bangladesh could serve as a model of Muslim majority country. The US considers Bangladesh as a very important partner in the region. In recent years, the bilateral relations have made significant strides in all spheres of cooperation.
At the same time, Bangladesh also considers the US as close and trusted friend and there is continued efforts to strengthen the existing bilateral relations and cooperation. Bangladesh is an ally of US in the fight against terrorism, and this has further strengthened Bangladesh-US relations.
The US considers Bangladesh as a 'traditionally moderate and tolerant' country that has made progress in establishing democracy since gaining independence in 1971. After years of military rule, Bangladesh has carried out a series of democratic elections since 1991.
She pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy. She is and has been for many years now a tested ally of the US.
As an active member of SAARC, Bangladesh has emerged as a key player in South Asian geo-politics due to its human resources and changing economic status. The US is having vital strategic interests in Bangladesh due to her location that is very close to the Indian Ocean between two regional powers India and China.
US had been providing lot of military aid to South Asian countries, particularly to Pakistan of which Bangladesh was a part until 1971. Just after independence, Bangladesh did not receive any military aid form US. In 1983, Bangladesh received US $ .4 million from the US for buying defence hardware. The defence relations between Bangladesh and the US was strengthened during Gulf War in 1991, when some 2500 troops of Bangladesh Army served with the coalition forces along with a few Muslim countries and afterwards participated in multinational forces to restore democracy in Haiti. She, frequently at the urging of the US, has been regularly contributing to UN peace keeping missions all over the world.
Gulf War was basically the turning point in the US-Bangladesh relations, since then the relationship has taken a new dimension. Presently, military relationship between them is very healthy. They are regularly participating in joint military exercises, which obviously serve as the bridge of friendship between both the countries. The US military assistance to Bangladesh has been fairly steady since the 1980s.
Cooperation between the US and Bangladesh forces was visible during 'Operation Sea Angels' -- a search and rescue operation carried out by US Army in 1991 after the devastating cyclone, which is credited with having saved as many as 2,00,000 lives. This also helped the Armed Forces of both the countries come closer of each other.
Both countries have a long and successful bilateral partnership in many areas, from economic and social development to peacekeeping and counterterrorism, because they share common values and aspirations for freedom and a better life for future generation.
Bangladesh has benefited from US assistance in many different ways. US extended help in coping with various natural disasters that Bangladesh has been plagued with since long.
US is a major buyer of RMG from Bangladesh and Bangladesh imports wheat, fertilizer, cotton, communication equipment, aircraft and medical supplies, a portion of which is financed by USAID.
A bilateral investment treaty was also signed in 1989. From 1971 to 2006, USAID has provided over US $ 5 billion in development assistance, with over half of that amount in food aid. In 2006, USAID provided US $ 75 million in development assistance to Bangladesh.
The relations were boosted in March 2000 with the visit of then President Clinton, a first visit ever by a sitting US President.
Following the tragic event of 9/11, Bangladesh extended its full support to the US in its war against international terrorism. The 9/11 attacks altered the way of perceiving terrorism that is not limited to the battlefield. Instead, terrorism needs to be fought in the classroom as well. As part of global fight against terrorism, US arranged to establish the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, which will be a world class liberal arts college to educate intelligent and talented young women from diverse backgrounds across Asia and the Middle East.
The funding will likely be through USAID with startup cost of US $ 50 million, total initial endowment of US $ 30 million and annual operating cost of US $ 25 million. The University will teach democratic essentials such as moderation and reconciliation -- key weapons against extremism and intolerance.
Bangladesh also received assistance from Peace Corps with their presence from 1998 until it suspended Bangladesh operation in March 2006 to avoid the possible attack from the militants.
Peace Corps volunteers used to work with government youth development centres, where the demand for English teaching was at the forefront of community needs. In addition to that, the volunteers used to work with communities to develop other programmes at the youth centres to meet their needs by organising youth clubs to facilitate life skills development, conducting computer and IT training, gardening, tube well sinking, dye block printing and batik, small animal husbandry, development of village information books, working with women's groups to organise girls' esteem and empowerment workshops, and mobilising and teaching women and girls micro-business skills in order to market their handicraft products.
Using communicative and participatory methodologies and following a national curriculum, the volunteers used to initiate less formal teaching activities such as designing and teaching after-school conversational classes, forming English clubs and book clubs, teaching art, and working with NGOs to build their fluency in English.
Bangladesh is a country that is not well understood by the majority of Americans including Congress members. Many of them still remember the tumultuous founding of Bangladesh in the war of independence or visions of the dire floods and famines that Bangladesh experienced in its early years of nationhood.
A concerted effort will have to be made in Washington to enlist the continuous support of the President, the National Security Council (NSC), the US Trade Representative, the State Department and the Congress. It is expected that US will do everything possible to support the economic and political stability of Bangladesh at any critical juncture.
We hope both the countries must join hands and help each other in every way possible to ensure that the basic and fundamental values that both countries share are preserved, which should be the basis of special relationship between the two countries.
Khan Ferdousour Rahman is a freelance contributor.
Dhaka, January 17, 2007 : Bangladesh is the second largest Muslim democratic country in the world after Indonesia. Although the US' relationship with Bangladesh was initially troubled because of strong US-Pakistan ties, the friendship and support developed quickly afterwards. Mr. Archer Kent Blood, who was the US Consul General in Dhaka in the then East Pakistan in 1971 reported the truth and supported rights of people of this country even at the expense of his own career.
Bangladesh was founded as a secular state, on a regional identity -- Bengali, both Muslim and Hindu -- and not on a religious identity. The US recognised Bangladesh in April 1972.
US-Bangladesh relations today can be described as a special relationship. Bangladesh always desires to strengthen relations with US. Her bilateral relations with the US are clearly a matter of highest priority. It is equally highly important to US also that democracy, Islam and moderation can co-exist, as it does in Bangladesh today.
Bangladesh could serve as a model of Muslim majority country. The US considers Bangladesh as a very important partner in the region. In recent years, the bilateral relations have made significant strides in all spheres of cooperation.
At the same time, Bangladesh also considers the US as close and trusted friend and there is continued efforts to strengthen the existing bilateral relations and cooperation. Bangladesh is an ally of US in the fight against terrorism, and this has further strengthened Bangladesh-US relations.
The US considers Bangladesh as a 'traditionally moderate and tolerant' country that has made progress in establishing democracy since gaining independence in 1971. After years of military rule, Bangladesh has carried out a series of democratic elections since 1991.
She pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy. She is and has been for many years now a tested ally of the US.
As an active member of SAARC, Bangladesh has emerged as a key player in South Asian geo-politics due to its human resources and changing economic status. The US is having vital strategic interests in Bangladesh due to her location that is very close to the Indian Ocean between two regional powers India and China.
US had been providing lot of military aid to South Asian countries, particularly to Pakistan of which Bangladesh was a part until 1971. Just after independence, Bangladesh did not receive any military aid form US. In 1983, Bangladesh received US $ .4 million from the US for buying defence hardware. The defence relations between Bangladesh and the US was strengthened during Gulf War in 1991, when some 2500 troops of Bangladesh Army served with the coalition forces along with a few Muslim countries and afterwards participated in multinational forces to restore democracy in Haiti. She, frequently at the urging of the US, has been regularly contributing to UN peace keeping missions all over the world.
Gulf War was basically the turning point in the US-Bangladesh relations, since then the relationship has taken a new dimension. Presently, military relationship between them is very healthy. They are regularly participating in joint military exercises, which obviously serve as the bridge of friendship between both the countries. The US military assistance to Bangladesh has been fairly steady since the 1980s.
Cooperation between the US and Bangladesh forces was visible during 'Operation Sea Angels' -- a search and rescue operation carried out by US Army in 1991 after the devastating cyclone, which is credited with having saved as many as 2,00,000 lives. This also helped the Armed Forces of both the countries come closer of each other.
Both countries have a long and successful bilateral partnership in many areas, from economic and social development to peacekeeping and counterterrorism, because they share common values and aspirations for freedom and a better life for future generation.
Bangladesh has benefited from US assistance in many different ways. US extended help in coping with various natural disasters that Bangladesh has been plagued with since long.
US is a major buyer of RMG from Bangladesh and Bangladesh imports wheat, fertilizer, cotton, communication equipment, aircraft and medical supplies, a portion of which is financed by USAID.
A bilateral investment treaty was also signed in 1989. From 1971 to 2006, USAID has provided over US $ 5 billion in development assistance, with over half of that amount in food aid. In 2006, USAID provided US $ 75 million in development assistance to Bangladesh.
The relations were boosted in March 2000 with the visit of then President Clinton, a first visit ever by a sitting US President.
Following the tragic event of 9/11, Bangladesh extended its full support to the US in its war against international terrorism. The 9/11 attacks altered the way of perceiving terrorism that is not limited to the battlefield. Instead, terrorism needs to be fought in the classroom as well. As part of global fight against terrorism, US arranged to establish the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, which will be a world class liberal arts college to educate intelligent and talented young women from diverse backgrounds across Asia and the Middle East.
The funding will likely be through USAID with startup cost of US $ 50 million, total initial endowment of US $ 30 million and annual operating cost of US $ 25 million. The University will teach democratic essentials such as moderation and reconciliation -- key weapons against extremism and intolerance.
Bangladesh also received assistance from Peace Corps with their presence from 1998 until it suspended Bangladesh operation in March 2006 to avoid the possible attack from the militants.
Peace Corps volunteers used to work with government youth development centres, where the demand for English teaching was at the forefront of community needs. In addition to that, the volunteers used to work with communities to develop other programmes at the youth centres to meet their needs by organising youth clubs to facilitate life skills development, conducting computer and IT training, gardening, tube well sinking, dye block printing and batik, small animal husbandry, development of village information books, working with women's groups to organise girls' esteem and empowerment workshops, and mobilising and teaching women and girls micro-business skills in order to market their handicraft products.
Using communicative and participatory methodologies and following a national curriculum, the volunteers used to initiate less formal teaching activities such as designing and teaching after-school conversational classes, forming English clubs and book clubs, teaching art, and working with NGOs to build their fluency in English.
Bangladesh is a country that is not well understood by the majority of Americans including Congress members. Many of them still remember the tumultuous founding of Bangladesh in the war of independence or visions of the dire floods and famines that Bangladesh experienced in its early years of nationhood.
A concerted effort will have to be made in Washington to enlist the continuous support of the President, the National Security Council (NSC), the US Trade Representative, the State Department and the Congress. It is expected that US will do everything possible to support the economic and political stability of Bangladesh at any critical juncture.
We hope both the countries must join hands and help each other in every way possible to ensure that the basic and fundamental values that both countries share are preserved, which should be the basis of special relationship between the two countries.
Khan Ferdousour Rahman is a freelance contributor.
posted by Ven. Pragya Jyoti at 5:32 PM
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