Dr. Richard Benkin
Originally published in Daily Asian Age, Dhaka
https://dailyasianage.com/news/279796/bangladesh-faces-new-challenges-in-2022
Five and a half years ago, former Congressman Robert Dold and I sat in the antechamber of the House Committee on Ways and Means with Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United States at that time, Mohammad Ziauddin. We were to discuss the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh; and Congressman Dold, a member of that powerful Congressional committee, set the meeting place specifically to emphasize that there could be consequences for continued inaction on Bangladesh's part. Among other things, Ways and Means controls matter related to international trade, including tariffs and trade agreements.
As the discussion became more open and frank, it became clear that the matter was serious and our concerns were not going away. After some time, Dold finally asked Ambassador Ziauddin, "So you admit that you have a problem [with the persecution of Hindus]?" Ziauddin agreed, and Dold said that "we want to help you solve your problem," which should have opened the door to joint US-Bangladeshi action to help Bangladesh achieve the values of religious freedom and equality enshrined in its Constitution. But that never happened.
Not long after that, one of Dold's staff and I met with Ambassador Ziauddin to start that cooperative effort. Instead, Ziauddin told us that "after further study, I find that I was mistaken [when we met previously]" and that Hindus live freely and unmolested in Bangladesh. Please know, we're not naïve.
We knew that "further study" equaled a directive from Dhaka to deny what he said. We also had decades of verified evidence of violent anti-Hindu persecution, some of it deadly.
A lot has happened since then: Dold left Congress for the private sector; Ambassador Ziauddin and others in the embassy here have been replaced; Bangladesh has gotten closer with China; and the world found itself in the midst of a pandemic; in addition to so much more. Something else changed. The rest of the world no longer believes the Bangladeshi government when it tries to blame a few radicals for increasing attacks on Hindus.
The recent anti-Hindu violence surrounding the Hindu festival of Durga Puja was severe enough that governments worldwide condemned it and, in many cases, the failure of Bangladesh's government to stop it, despite the government's almost autocratic control. And that's the key. Regardless of who the actual perpetrators and organizers were, most governments and individuals agree that responsibility to protect its minority citizens lays with the government of Bangladesh. That's no different from the standard we demand of ourselves. For example, when police officers in several cities abused their power and killed some African-Americans, our government had to act-and not only to prosecute and punish the perpetrators. We also had to deal with the conditions that gave rise to these crimes and do something about that; which we did. There have been numerous initiatives at virtually all levels of government designed to do just that no matter how difficult or contentious.
Senator Richard Durbin is one of the most powerful persons in Washington, and someone who has been kind and supportive to me and my work over the years. He recently wrote me that he "applaud[s] the government's response in sending forces to contain the violence," but adds that "more action must be taken against extremists organizations that foment these attacks. As the influence of these organizations grows, it emboldens terrorist attacks on the Hindu community, secular organizations, and other minority religious groups. The government must take action to counter their influence and the horrific actions they have taken against civil society." An argument I've been making for years. Durbin's remarks are both indicative of general sentiment, and a warning to those who wish to read it.
A piece in Al Jazeera openly speculated that recent US actions could be signaling a change in US policy toward Bangladesh. Last month, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan invited 111 mostly Asian democracies to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. Bangladesh was not among them. In addition to security, the Quad helps countries with things like trade and infrastructure, which are critical to Bangladesh's future. It was an unexpected snub, and experts in the US and Asia see it as deliberate. It reflected concerns over Bangladesh's moves toward anti-democratic China; the deteriorating quality of democracy in Bangladesh, and the government's tolerance for anti-Hindu violence. Let's also remember that the US and other democracies were unequivocal in calling Bangladesh's last election neither free nor fair.
I do not expect anyone to be quaking with fear simply because we are the United States. Westerners do not take this position because they believe we are somehow better. Commenting on some of the places I go, people often ask me if I'm concerned for my safety there. I respond that "Everywhere I go, there are people living there 24/7. I get to leave; they don't, and each of those lives is as precious as mine."
I do expect, however, that responsible leaders take note of things that can have a serious impact on their people and do not ignore them. The United States is Bangladesh's biggest customer for readymade garments; China is its biggest competitor. I was in business for many years and always knew that it's a bad idea to anger your customers; and as attitudes change, people from all over regularly ask me to use my influence to get them a piece of that market. I also learned never to take current prosperity for granted.
US-Bangladesh relations are at a crossroads, and the current Bangladeshi government is responsible for which road they take. Their decisions are even more critical today because those readymade garment economies that continue to prosper post-pandemic will do so only because their leaders strengthen relationships with customers, not weaken them. What they do also will go far in determining whether or not Bangladesh has remained true to those ideals that gave it birth. Growing closer to China, becoming less democratic, and continuing to claim impotence against those who persecute their minority citizens will not get it done.
As Senator Durbin, who tends to have his fingers on the pulse of US foreign policy, told me, "I urge the Bangladeshi government to safeguard the rights and security of Hindus and all religious communities in the country." If the government simply can't do it, I can help.
The writer is an American scholar and a geopolitical analyst.