& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

BOOK REVIEW

Bangladesh and its Attitude towards the External World

Title: Bangladesh and the South Asian International System

Author: Dilara Chowdhury published by: Academic Publishers, Dhaka. pp344 Price: Tk 330.
THE book reached me at a time when a parliamentary stalemate was prevailing ovex an Issue of foreign policy: to condemn or not to condemn the Hebron killing The Hamletesque dilemma was brought to an end with the government ultimately deploring the massacre and simultaneously quenching the Opposition's query about external affairs.
Published by the Academic Publishers In 1992. Professor Dilara Chowdhurys book 'Bangladesh and the South Asian International System", for obvious reasons, has no reference to the latest carnage at the Gaza Strip However, the book Indicates that a small power like Bangladesh can only react and not really act In any international crisis. At the same time, the book tends to highlight the importance of Bangladesh is the South Asian regional politics, specially in the present changed global scenario.
The Importance is suggested in the backdrop of Bangladesh's relation with the major powers (the United States. Russia and China) and that of our big neighbours (India and Pakistan). In doing so. the author observes that the foreign policy of Bangladesh maintained a remarkable consistency ever since its emergence. The external policy of Bangladesh survived through different military coups and political violences that brought about changes in the government. The nadir Of this consistency lies in the government's attitude of 'non-alignment' towards the external world.
Interestingly, the author finds that this policy of non-alignment is vital for national security, both political and economic, which the previous
governments learnt from the Pakistani experience of disintegration'. In the introductory note, she says: The option (for non-alignment) has been conditioned by Dhaka's historical experiences. During pre-independence days there was extreme polarisation in the subcontinent due to Pakistan's formal alliances with the West and India's Informal links with the Soviet Union. Thanks to the Superpowers rivalry. Pakistan's policy of alignment. Instead of protecting its political Independence and territorial Integrity, hastened its disintegration. This was a lesson for Dhaka". (Bangladesh and the South Aslan International System, pp 8) For a war-ravaged nation, economic development — rather foreign aid and geo-political realities — also demanded this adoption of non-alignment and. curiously, these two factors forced the previous governments to tilt, albeit covertly, towards the major powers and big neighbours. "In the early years of Independence". writes Prof Chowdhury. Dhaka visibly leaned on the Indo-Soviet bloc, in spite of its declared faith in non-alignment". In a press conference in London in 1972, President Sheikh Mujlbur Rahman said. We are a small
country. We want friendship with all and malice towards none”. *
Prof Chowdhury, quoting Zillur Rahman, notes that during President Zia's rule relationships between Bangladesh and the US Improved because the US had considerable support among the bureaucrats, a segment of the army and opposition parties: there was mass resentment during Mu-Jib's rule and suspicions grew on the Soviet role at the Chittagong port.
Zia s regime witnessed the improvement of ' US-Bangladesh and Sino-Bangladesh relationships with concomitant deterioration of Indo-Bangladesh and Soviet-Bangladesh relationships. Ziaur Rahman and later his successor Hussain Muhammad Er-shad also succeeded in solidifying the bond with Muslim countries.
While referring to the present relationship with Russia. Prof Chowdhury comments that Moscow has realised "India s ambition of power centre in its own right, indicated by India's consistent and polite refusal to be drawn completely Into the Soviet orbit ... Moscow would now probably deal with Bangladesh on its own without subordinating
it to New Delhi". Regarding Soviet role during the Bangladesh War'. Prof Chowdhury remarks. " ... it was fairly simple for Moscow to determine and pursue a policy which helped enhance its national interests In the region".
For some mysterious reasons, the humanitarian reason behind the Soviet role. I feel. Is not duly addressed. And it appears that the author time and again intends to see the emergence 6f a sovereign Bangladesh as a "diplomatic victory for India and the Soviet Union".
About Bangladesh and the United States relationship, the author makes a frank and bold observation. She says. ”... the assistance programme gives the US a strong foothold in Bangladesh". Stressing Bangladesh's strategic location near the Indian Ocean she adds. "Washington wants a stable Bangladesh .... political and economic chaos will certainly upset the status quo. which would be detrimental to the US Interests in the South Asia"
Again, talking about Ihdo-Bangladesh relationship. Prof Chowdhury raises the Farakka, border dispute. Talpatti. fencing. trade and other bilateral Issues to comment: New Delhi Is allowing outstanding disputes to continue in order to provide Itself with political levers, which are taking their toll on the bilateral relationship.
The writer sums up the Indo-Bangladesh relation as a journey from euphoria to pragmatism.
A good deal of the 344 page book - 69 pages, to be precise - deals with the Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship to conclude that "Pakistan and Bangladesh have developed a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship''.-'
An interesting comparison between the then East Pakistani, and West Pakistani civil service employees and gazetted and non-gazetted officers are one of the outstanding inclusions in the book which helps us to understand the disparity that hastened Pakistan’s disintegration'. Many of the ideas of the book are the fruit of the author's painstaking endeavour — as exemplified in the long list of . bibliography. They are thought provoking and can easily entail a series of healthy debate.
Foreign policy in itself is a very complicated subject, but the author — an associate pro lessor of Government and Politics at the Jahangirnagar University — deftly and lucidly delves into her subject. Th< 'internal determinant of foreign policy’ — the impact ol internal situation of a country on its external issues and humanitarian factors, often slip; out of the authors discussion.
In any regard, the ordinary looking extraordinary book is worth reading to learn mon about Bangladesh and its attitude towards the external world.
Reviewed by
Shamsad Mortuza