Bangladesh US Partnership Dialogue: Opportunities and challengesBARRISTER HARUN UR RASHID

     

The two-day meeting of the Bangladesh-US Partnership Dialogue to bolster bilateral and regional cooperation between the two countries commenced in Washington on March 14.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque led the Bangladesh delegation at the discussion with his counterpart US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy R Sherman. The last meeting took place in Washington in September last year.The latest meeting took place under the mechanism of a Joint Declaration on “Bangladesh-US Partnership Dialogue,” which was signed in Dhaka on May 5, 2012 by the Bangladesh foreign minister and the then US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

The “umbrella Declaration” aims to establish regular dialogues on bilateral cooperation in issues ranging from combating terrorism and transnational crimes to food security, education, climate change and child and maternal health.

It also sets a forum in which annual consultation is envisaged at the level of foreign secretary/under-secretary, and periodic consultations at foreign minister level.

Strategic or Partnership Dialogue is based on long-term shared strategic vision and convergence of strategic

interests, mutual trust, confidence in each other and respect for each other’s strategic sensitivities. The US has also concluded Strategic Dialogue Agreement with India and China.

It is reported that the topics included from Bangladesh side were:* Cooperation in counter-terrorism;* Bangladesh’s expanded role in the UN peacekeeping;* Inclusion of Bangladesh in US Millennium Challenge Account;* Increased US assistance for development programmes in Bangladesh;* Duty and quota-free access to the US of readymade Bangladeshi  garments and continuation of GSP facilities to the US;* Cooperation in disaster management and maritime security.The US, on the other hand, reportedly raised with Bangladesh side the following issues, among others:* Working conditions of garment workers including fire safety in factories;* Human Rights record and good governance in Bangladesh;* Concern about confrontation among political parties and violence leading to instability in the country.

According to the US, the signing of Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (Ticfa) with Bangladesh is necessary for attracting US trade and investments. However, it is reported Bangladesh has reservations on the labour issue and, since the US has not

softened its stance on this issue, Ticfa cannot be signed yet.

Bangladesh’s economic and social development, rooting out of extremism and promotion of regional economic integration are vital to American regional and global interests. Furthermore, Bangladesh’s strategic location together with access to the open sea via the Bay of Bengal is important to the US.

There are other reasons for the US to focus on Bangladesh which deserve mention. Since 2009, the Bangladesh government has successfully handled the threat from terrorist elements in Bangladesh, and as part of the efforts the government has continued to address the problems of money laundering and weak border controls to ensure that Bangladesh does not become a safe haven for terrorists.

Bangladesh is emerging as an economically vibrant country where business people have been innovative and imaginative in pushing the economic growth consistently above 6% through decades. 60% of Bangladesh’s economy is connected with the global economy. It is also a good market for US products as the number of middle class people with disposable incomes is rising.

Bangladesh could be an integral part of the New Silk Road envisioned by the US that will connect Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. The pivotal reasoning behind the New Silk Road is that economic incentives will reinforce political integration and long-term stabilisation.

On February 26, acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Joseph Yun of the State Department termed the New Silk Route as “Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor” and pleaded for greater US engagement in massive investment for building road, rail, sea and air connectivity between these two regions.

Bangladesh is an active partner country in the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) Regional Cooperation Forum. The informal Forum envisages significant opportunities for joint exploration of natural resources within the region, which constitutes 40% of the world’s population.

The visit of our foreign secretary to Washington under the Partnership Dialogue will broaden and deepen bilateral relations with the US, an important development partner. It is reported that Bangladesh will invite the US under-secretary of state to Bangladesh for a Partnership Dialogue in Dhaka sometime this year.

While cooperating with the US, analysts maintain that Bangladesh has to be mindful of the possible concerns of China and balance its interests between the US and China. It should not be perceived as being in the US camp against China or vice versa.

It is wrong to suggest that Bangladesh has to choose between the US and China. The partnership with the US is not at the expense of China. Bangladesh can have friendly relations with both. Asean has played a model role in balancing the benefits between the US and China. While

Asean is tied with China through Free Trade Agreement, it also seeks security assurances from the US.

The writer is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.