The visit of Indian External Affairs Minister: Bangladesh is happy

Bangladesh will try all possible ways they can, but if a regional power and neighboring country like India comes in whole heart by the side of Bangladesh on this Rohingya issue, it will be great for Bangladesh.

by Swadesh Roy- Oct 26, 2017

Oct 26, 2017

( October 26, 2017, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj visited Bangladesh on 22nd and 23rd October. Her two days working visit was so much important for Bangladesh. She came to Bangladesh at a time when Bangladesh has been suffering from Rohingya refugees’ influx. Such a time when influx of Rohingya to Bangladesh started, then the Prime Minister of India visited to Myanmar. The Indian Prime Minister showed his all support to Myanmar for destroying the terrorist of their soil when he was visiting that country. The government of Myanmar is portraying all the Rohingya Muslims as terrorists. They never said the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARS) are only the terrorist. They are still killing and driving the Rohingya Muslims from their soil.

The Prime Minister of Bangladesh ordered to open the border of Bangladesh for humanitarian ground so that Rohingya people can enter in Bangladesh. If she did not make this decision thousand -hundreds of Rohingyas would be killed by the Myanmar army. What they have done was called a ‘text book ethnic cleansing’ by the United Nation. However, after the speech came from the Prime Minister of India during his visit in Myanmar, the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh said that his government is with Bangladesh on this refugee issue. Accordingly, within a very short time, Indian government sent some food and other necessary things for Rohingya refugees. Besides, a meeting was hold in Delhi between two foreign secretaries of India and Bangladesh. A statement came as an outcome of that India would play role in favor of Bangladesh so that Rohingya refugee problem could be solved.

After that meeting of foreign secretaries, Indian Finance Minister (FM) came to Bangladesh and his visit was also for two days. It was also a land mark visit for India and Bangladesh, because India signed a contract with Bangladesh that India would give Bangladesh more 4.5-billion-dollar credit facility which includes only 1.5 percent interest to build up the infrastructure of Bangladesh. When Indian FM visited Bangladesh, the Prime Minster of Bangladesh was in aboard. Moreover, as a Finance Minister he kept himself in his boundary. He attended in a seminar and told about the Indian economic policy regarding the poverty alleviation. He never uttered a word regarding the Rohingya refugee. But more than $4.5 billion contract made clear that India has been continuing their friendship with joint economic progress program with Bangladesh. It was also a significant indication for Myanmar and the people of Bangladesh on the issue of Rohingya refugees.

However, before Indian EAM’s arrival it was not clear to the media and most of the political analysts of Bangladesh that Mrs. Swaraj would go that far about the Rohingya Refugee issues; basically it was beyond the expectation of the Bangladeshi media and the political analysts. Some of them thought that EAM of India will tell something regarding Rohingya but nobody thought she would say that firmly; Myanmar must take her Rohingya back. Form the very first time of the Rohingya influx in Bangladesh, the people of Bangladesh thought it would be easier for Bangladesh to solve the problem if they got India with them. Though, China is telling that it is the problem of Myanmar and Bangladesh so it should be solved bilaterally; but it is not true. It was never a problem between Myanmar and Bangladesh. It is the problem of Myanmar only. What Bangladesh has done, they gave shelter to hundreds of thousands people in humanitarian ground for saving their lives. So, Myanmar has to take their people back and without the pressure of the regional and world power they will not do it.

In that context, it was a very strong step smartly done by Indian EAM because, he has told it standing on the soil of Bangladesh. When India took that step in the same time the Home Minister of Bangladesh visited Myanmar. The government of Myanmar at least came to a point that they would set up a working committee within November and they would take back the Rohingya people and rehabilitate them according to the Kofi Annan commission report. In addition, Minister of Office of State Counsellor of Myanmar will visit Bangladesh soon.

However, Bangladesh will try all possible ways they can, but if a regional power and neighboring country like India comes in whole heart by the side of Bangladesh on this Rohingya issue, it will be great for Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh got India in that way so the people of Bangladesh are happy with the visit of the Indian External Affairs Minister.

On the other hand, taking this position, India could show that, they are the good neighbor and the real friend of Bangladesh and they want a long term friendship with Bangladesh. If they did not support Bangladesh on that issue, it would prove that India wants some facilities from Bangladesh but they do not believe a long term friendship. So they are thinking about sittwe port of Myanmar and their Kaladan project of North East India which is little bit alternative of the transit in Bangladesh for communication to their North East India and the mainland. Rather, they have proved that, they are very much with the reality of transit and India would not go beyond anything to give up the friendship of Bangladesh, and the reality of India- Bangladesh joint progress aspect. Despite all, India and Bangladesh have to think about their internal security jointly in any circumstances, in this Rohingya issue- India cannot go out of that.

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor. The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a highest state award winning journalist and can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com