Former foreign ministers and retired diplomats yesterday said Bangladesh's foreign policy has been running on ad-hoc basis since the independence as all the successive governments changed the policy instead of giving it a permanent shape.
The speakers also came down heavily against politicisation of the foreign affairs cadres and linking up internal politics with the foreign policy that hampers Bangladesh's negotiation capacity with other nations.
They said even foreign affairs cadre posts like other cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service have been increasingly politicised.
They made the observations at a discussion on Reflection of Foreign Policy of Bangladesh under a two-day national colloquium styled “Bangladesh Tomorrow" at Hotel Sheraton in the city. Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) organised the event.
Presided over by Sayed Kamaluddin, editor of Weekly Holiday, it was addressed, among others, by former foreign ministers Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud MP, M Morshed Khan, former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former ambassadors Mohammad Zamir and Masood Aziz.
Secretary General of CFSD Mahfuz Ullah moderated the discussion.
They said there is no consistency in the foreign policy of Bangladesh to ensure the national interest.
Former ambassador M Anwar Hashim in his keynote paper said the foreign policy should be formulated based on a national consensus between the government and the opposition political parties.
M Morshed Khan said “Our foreign office cadres know only how to translate Bangla from English and English from Bangla, and those who are efficient moves with bio-data in their pockets and go abroad with jobs from donor agencies.”
He suggested formation of an advisory committee with former diplomats to suggest the incumbent foreign ministry officials how to conduct negotiations with other countries.
The former minister said he does not want to oppose the issue of giving transit facilities or permit India to use the Chittagong port but the question is that what Bangladesh will get after giving the facilities.
“It's important to ensure what we are getting. We will only give and will not get anything - - it is not possible,” he said adding, a foreign policy ensures only national interest of a country.
Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud MP, who served as the foreign minister during Ershad regime, however, pointed out some positive pictures of Bangladesh including achieving GDP of around 6 percent from so-called “bottomless basket” termed by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
Former state minister of past Awami League regime Abul Hasan Chowdhury said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's New Delhi visit was positive for raising various issues of Bangladesh, including sharing of the Teesta water and construction of Tipaimukh dam.
He said until agreements are not reached on these issues, mere assurances from India would not establish friendly relations.
Most of the discussants mentioned the deficit of trust between Bangladesh and India and suggested revival of Gujral doctrine that says with neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.