Gaza has now been made into an inferno by the Zionist Israel regime under the unconditional support of the US and the West, militarily, politically, economically ignoring the calls of the people in favor of stopping war and atrocities. Apocalypse now. Global capitalism is contaminating its cancerous crises all over the world. Ukraine, Palestine, Nigeria, Venezuela, Bangladesh, none are different. So, the people of Bangladesh stand by the Palestinian people.
In September 2023, Rashed Khan Menon, MP and president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, opened a Pandora’s box in his speech in the Parliament Session. He said that the US wants Saint Martin Island of Bangladesh for a permanent military base in Bangladesh. Accordingly, the US is pressuring the Bangladeshi government to join the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and other military alliances across the Indo-Pacific region.
The speech not only caused an uproar in Bangladesh, but also compelled the US foreign department to clarify that the US is not interested in Saint Martin. Shortly after, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina echoed similar concerns in the Parliament regarding the US diplomatic moves and pressures in the name of free and fair elections and to establish “real democracy.”
This is not a one-off incident. There is a long historical legacy leading up to the current situation of a “crisis of democracy.” To understand the present political dynamics, one needs to mention the past.
The ultra-right religious fundamentalism and terrorism that emerged in this region, were created, organized, and patronized by imperialist forces and their comprador allies, just like the rest of the world, to fight socialism. The religious right-wing forces are tools and ideological weapons of the ruling class, who are allies of neoliberal order of global capitalism to divert people from progressive and revolutionary struggle.
The Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 was a pivotal political incident in South Asia. This historic event and the emergence of Bangladesh has paved the way for a new geo-political and regional economic polarization. The US has had a legacy of making friendship with the Pakistani ruling class to combat former Soviet influence and also to get a grip over India’s politics and economy.
It is a historical fact that, in 1971 liberation movement, the US nakedly supported the genocide by the Pakistani military junta and put an all out effort against the liberation of Bangladesh.
Through the defeat and surrendering of the Pakistani Army, US influence in the eastern zone of South Asia was shattered seriously and faced a serious set-back for a while. For the time being, they had to retreat. But they started regrouping and re-planning to recover the loss.
Several documents from the time revealed the fact that they started helping the anti-liberation forces to be reorganized. After its liberation on December 16, 1971, the newly born Bangladesh under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the unparalleled leader of liberation war, failed to handle the political conflict among the pro-liberation forces, to restructure the devastated economy, to combat the corruption, and to give momentum to the economy.
The people faced a disastrous famine and became helpless. People expected that they would be rewarded with a pro-people, friendly, earnest and honest political leadership, who would stand beside them to recover the loss incurred during the liberation war. But they were to some extent disappointed.
People began to turn their face from the once popular ruling party, Awami League. This led to Mujib and the Awami League getting slowly isolated from common people. The anti-liberation forces, especially those who were implanted in the army through different processes, took advantage of the situation. The whole condition made a fertile bed for the imperialist forces especially for the US to intervene, and to restore their lost ground.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and almost all of his family members were brutally assassinated by a group of military officers on 15 August, 1975. Through a successive coup and counter coup, all the prominent leaders of the Liberation War were killed. With this, the rehabilitation of anti-liberation right-wing forces began, and through them the deep penetration of imperialist powers.
After the coup, imperialist forces, especially the US, became natural allies and friends to the right-wing fundamentalists who led the government. In the 1970s, imperialist intervention at the time was in order to confront Soviet influence in this region. The situation changed after the demise of the Soviet Union.
In the post-Soviet era, imperialist forces primarily sought to combat the emergent economic influence of both China and India, and to restore their economic and political influence. They also sought to extend their influence towards South East Asia.
The USA and their allies always paid special attention to Bangladesh to make it an epicenter, owing to its important geopolitical position. Now, imperialist forces want a grip on the economy as well.
To take control over the Chittagong sea-port, to get permanent stronghold on possible deep sea port of Sonadia, to get access to possible gas and oil reserves in the Bay of Bengal and coal mines in the Northern zone, are some of the key strategic interests of the US.
It is to be noted that the US and the European Union are continuously pressing and intervening in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, crossing diplomatic norms. Besides, in the time of different vulnerable political situations, the US government withheld Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to Bangladesh and compelled it to sign the United States-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA), one of their long-standing goals.
Recently, the US and their European allies are intervening through new visa policies, different forms of sanctions, and pressure tactics in the name of free and fair election, human rights and democratization.
These ugly pushes laid bare the intention of the imperialist forces. Apart from the direct economic interest, they also want to use Bangladesh to make maneuvers into India. Moreover, the US and their partners want a stronghold to extend their strategic presence in Myanmar and its mineral resources as well.
From the viewpoint of imperialist forces, Bangladesh is the strategic springboard for heading towards the South-East and Asia Pacific. To achieve their political and economic goals in Bangladesh, imperialists consider the anti-liberation forces, the religious fundamentalists and their political allies, as their natural friends.
South Asia is becoming more and more important geopolitically and in terms of economic interests for the Imperialist forces i.e. the United States and its European allies. The US policy for South Asia is a part of its pivotal strategy for the Asia-Pacific region, and is being highly influenced by the so-called threat of economic influence of the growing Indian and Chinese economy.
The upheaval of Nepal’s progressive forces and people in abolishing the monarchy in the beginning of 21st century was an eye sore to Imperialist forces. Sri Lanka and Maldives are also important regional bases for the imperialist forces for different interests , that is, to make influence over the Indian Ocean. Myanmar on the other hand is treated as a hinterland of the Eastern zone. Nevertheless, imperialists and their European partners have set their sights on its mineral resources, gas and oil reserves.
It is a well known fact that imperialist intervention is usually materialized in the name of regional security, economic aid, demand of democratic stability, counterterrorism policy, diplomatic initiatives etc. This is what is happening in Bangladesh. The conspiracy of regime change in the name of establishing democracy is their main agenda.
The ruling Awami League is also creating enough opportunity for right-wing and imperialist forces through some of their lapses in administration and failure to keep up with basic demands of the people.
Although there have been a spectacular achievement in infrastructural development, the increase of economic inequality, scarcity of proper jobs to the working people, general unemployment of the youth, price hike and inflation, corruption, money laundering, nepotism, and lack of clean and safe environment for people to vote and other democratic processes, stand out as failed promises to the people.
So, the escalation of the political crisis is the making of an intervention by imperialist forces. The plan of “regime change” is the mainstay of external pressure to ensure their ground for strategic policy.
However, the people of Bangladesh are wiping out the spider nets from over their eyes to properly see the current situation.
Palestinian people are going through a human catastrophe in the ongoing war on Gaza by the Zionist ruling classes of Israel and other imperialist forces. Global capitalism is desperate to sustain their global hegemony. They have made Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza and many others. Bangladesh may be another addition.
