Source: China Daily
DHAKA – US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena on Tuesday dismissed as untrue the notion that the ultimate objective of US-Bangladesh Security Dialogue is to forge a US-India-Bangladesh axis against China.
“China is not the enemy of America. You never hear that from President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton or Defense Secretary Leon Panetta,” he said, briefing journalists on the outcome of the last week’s Security Dialogue between Bangladesh and the United States.
“In certain area China may be our competitor. Our competitors are (also) UK, France and Canada. That’s fine,” he said.
“There is no axis between anybody against anybody. China is a rising economic, political, diplomatic and military power. I think they can be a force for good in Bangladesh, in the region and in the world,” He added.
Mozena said the security dialogue is not about Bangladesh versus China, but about Bangladesh and the United States sharing perspectives and permanent objectives on how to work for mutual benefit.
The first ever Bangladesh-US Security Dialogue was held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) last Thursday. Washington also holds similar dialogues with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand and the Philippines, he said.
Mozena said this is a mechanism Washington uses with its friends to exchange views for mutual benefit. This could become a regular dialogue on a yearly basis to talk to each other and give strategic directions to the security relations between the two countries.
Categories: Asia, Bangladesh, China, United States
I do not believe this is about China. There is concern of extremist elements taking roots in Bangladesh as there are established groups who sympathize with those ideologies. These groups flare up from time to time and gone on to threat and destroy minority mosques, rampage, even target killings.
On the face, the government tries hard to portray as secular and impartial ruler. However, they often give in to the pressure from the Islamist parties who possess quite a bit of influence in all aspect of Bangladesh including factions within the armed forces.
I hope these security dialogues are addressing those concerns, because being outside, we clearly see and hear of these issues manifesting from time to time. We do not need Bangladesh to become another hot field like Pakistan or Afghanistan.