Three months of quiet diplomacy led to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call to Gano Bhaban, the official residence of his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, going through and the two leaders speaking for around 20 minutes.
There was talk in some diplomatic quarters that the talk must have caused dismay in India where it would be interpreted as Bangladesh’s shifting of relations in inter-state relations within the South Asian dynamic. Khan was believed to have spoken to our PM on Jammu and Kashmir, the improvement of bilateral relations, and Saarc.
The Prime Minister’s office in Dhaka said in a short official release that the two leaders had spoken about the pandemic and the flood situation in Bangladesh. While it was clear that Dhaka did not want the world, especially India, to read much into the tele conversation, the release from Islamabad spun a narrative that would make South Block mandarins sit up and take note as if fast-changing developments are taking place in Dhaka. “Prime Minister Imran Khan shared Pakistan’s perspective on the grave situation” in Jammu and Kashmir, read the release issued in Islamabad.
But it was obvious from expressions on Bangladesh’s side that there was nothing of great significance in this brief telephonic chat. Official quarters in Dhaka tried their best to play down the significance of this tele conversation. As it happened, the Pakistani foreign ministry was pressing for this tele conversation for the last three months. Several mails had to be exchanged between the two foreign ministries on respective sides before clearance could be obtained from Ganabhaban and that too after much persuasion. The new Pakistani High commissioner in Dhaka too has been trying relentlessly to connect the two Prime Ministers, and finally it happened.
It was reported earlier that Pakistani envoy Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, who had filled a vacancy at the mission after a gap of 20 months – a result of Dhaka’s refusal to clear the appointment of the earlier nominee – had met Bangladesh foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen. The Bangladesh foreign ministry had been silent on what transpired between Momen and Siddiqui while unnamed official sources said it was nothing but a courtesy call. The Pakistani side, however, projected it out of proportion as a thaw in the relationship between the two countries.
But Bangladesh retains bitter memories of genocide and other atrocities committed by Pakistani forces of occupation during the Liberation War of 1971. Nothing like an official seeking of forgiveness for these atrocities was ever noted from Pakistan. Successive Pakistan governments also paid no heed to Bangladesh’s insistence that we be given our due share of resources and assets under pre 1971 united Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistani authorities were persistently seen hobnobbing with forces who remained disrespectful to the sovereignty and independence of Bangladesh.
Under these circumstances, it was clearly a case of overthinking and taking of false satisfaction by the Pakistani ruling establishment that Bangladesh could once again wholeheartedly think of restoring ‘brotherly’ relations with a country which have not even repented for its crimes and sins perpetrated against Bangladesh not to speak of its harboring other ill motives.
In stark contrast to Pakistan, India was Bangladesh’s main source of support and reliance during its most critical moments in 1971. A grateful Bangladesh will never fail to express gratitude for the unstinted moral, material, diplomatic and finally, the military contributions of the Indian armed forces for the creation of Bangladesh.
Today, India counts Bangladesh as its best friend in the region in all respects. The existing friendliness between the peoples and government of the two countries can be cited as a model of good neighborliness and ideal bilateral relations to be emulated by other countries. Bangladesh and India are bound most amicably and satisfactorily in matters of economic, trade, development, connectivity and other spheres. Hardly such mutually beneficial relationships are enjoyed by many other neighboring countries of the world.
Thus, it is fantasy to suggest that Bangladesh would risk leaving the everlasting support and friendship of India to show its preference for a country which so far has a track record of only deception and animosities towards it. PM Sheikh responded to Imran Khan’s gesture of a short telephone conversation out of a sense of normal courtesy and little else. There is nothing profound to be deciphered from this event than sharing anything more than usual diplomatic courtesy or nicety.
