Bangladesh in betwen helping US or buckling out

Following Richard Holbrooke’s request for combat troops, there has been a serious debate in Bangladesh on the question of whether the country should send a military contingent to Afghanistan or not.
Holbrooke, US special representative for AfPak region spoke to Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in New York City recently seeking any kind of help ranging from deployment of combat troops, economic and development assistance or helping in the training efforts in Afghanistan.

The US envoy’s proposal came at a time when the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is mulling an exit plan for Western troops fighting in Afghanistan by summer 2011.

Observers in Bangladesh questioned the timing of the request and raised eyebrows on why the international coalition has to look at Bangladesh to join them now, especially when the NATO led ISAF has support of at least 45 countries. The other argument doing the round in Bangladesh is whether a Muslim majority nation should take part in the war effort led by western forces against their Muslim brothers.

Bangladesh will be the second Muslim country, next to Turkey, if it joins the battle alongside the ISAF in Afghanistan and first among South Asian nations. Of course Malaysia (another Muslim majority country) has already offered to deploy 40 personnel, mostly doctors and paramedics to train Afghan health workers in the Bamyan province as part of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has warned the Dhaka administration against sending a military contingent to Afghanistan. The warning message says, “(We) believe that the leader of Bangladesh has enough Islamic knowledge and political wit not to involve people in the fight against Islam and against the Afghan people by sending a few hundred soldiers to Afghanistan.”

It should be remembered while taking any decision that Bangladesh has a large number of extremist/radical elements who openly support Al Qaeda and Taliban ideology.

The infamous slogan of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami-Bangladesh (HuJI-B) is still applicable here: Amra Sobai Hobo Taliban, Bangla Hobe Afghanistan (We will all become Taliban and we will turn Bangladesh into Afghanistan). Like minded pro-Taliban groups are still operating and going strong in Bangladesh at present.

Rising Voice:

Terming it ‘suicidal’, Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP) said the country should not send troops to Afghanistan, as it is a sensitive issue involving the country’s national interest.

It stated that Bangladesh has to consider that Afghanistan is a Muslim country and also a country of the South Asian regional grouping SAARC. The Islami Movement Bangladesh (IMB) said it would be a historic mistake if the Bangladesh government allows the USA request of sending troops to Afghanistan.

Most likely, the main opposition party BNP would join the bandwagon soon in a bigger way against any decisions that would facilitate Bangladesh’s direct involvement in the Afghan war effort.

Though one BNP member lodged an initial reaction by saying that ‘it would not be wise to send troops to Afghanistan without the cover of a UN peacekeeping mission.’ The Communist Party of Bangladesh termed the US request for troops as “audacious”. (Source: Daily Star , Sept 28; New Nation, Oct 01)

The Bangladesh government has not agreed yet and assured for further talks on the issue. Definitely the request for troops has put the Bangladesh government in an uneasy situation. However, it would be interesting to see how the Sheikh Hasina led Awami league government would handle the US pressure and rising domestic voices against joining the Afghan war effort.

http://asiasecurity.macfound.org/blog/entry/111bangladesh_in_catch_22_situation_over_sending_troops_to_afghanistan/

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