Bangladesh News

Britain and the United States have made it clear that they are banking on the government assurance of holding polls by this year and on the army chief’s pledge to steer clear of politics, choosing to overlook some other concerns.

However, both the countries, especially Britain through its Foreign Secretary David Miliband, signalled that their support for the government is not unconditional. Through visits of high-profile officials over the last one week, they said political parties must engage with the administration to ensure the country won’t return to its pre-1/11 state.

Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of international relations department, Dhaka University, told The Daily Star: “They wanted to make sure the government sticks to the roadmap but also ensured that the administration knew their support was not blind.”

Miliband on Saturday unequivocally stated that Britain’s priority for the government is to hold elections despite concerns with the state of emergency, human rights and the way high-profile graft suspects are being tried.

The importance of this pledge was reflected in Miliband’s perception that the country’s future potential is at stake. Bangladesh won’t be able to meet its future potential if the roadmap does not succeed, he observed.

As part of the roadmap, Miliband also stressed the role of politicians, indicating a return to the political deadlock and corruption evident before 1/11 would be unacceptable to the international community.

“His statements make Britain’s message to Bangladesh clear that any derailing from the roadmap would be suicidal for the country,” said Prof Imtiaz.

Along those lines, his visit’s agenda was successfully met with the assurances from the government of sticking to the roadmap and from the army chief that the military’s role is “independent, separate and above the politics”.

While senior US state department official Donald Camp also stressed the quickest possible transition to an elected government and wanted to be assured of the army’s return to barracks.

The chief election commissioner assured both Miliband and Camp that all preparations target to hold elections by this year.

But the Election Commission has not completed a number of tasks that were supposed to be completed by this time. Dialogues with the political parties on electoral law and institutional reforms were not held during September-November last year as per the EC roadmap.

The commission has also yet to formulate rules it was empowered to do last August for legalising ongoing procedures for preparing the voter list with photographs and publication of its draft.

However, neither Miliband nor Camp received any assurances about possible a date of lifting the state of emergency, even though both clearly called for that.

Miliband said: “The state of emergency must be lifted to all extents. A fully functional democracy cannot operate under a state of emergency.”

But he received no clear deadline for the emergency to be lifted, leaving British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury to reiterate government promises to lift the emergency when it is ‘practical’.

Camp also made US wishes clear: “The sooner the state of emergency is lifted the better, the sooner the election can be held, the better.” He also did not receive any clear deadline in this regard.

“Full democracy is vital to the country. Full participation in the electoral process is vital to democracy,” Camp said, stressing the need for the quickest possible transition to an “elected government”.

Miliband left without receiving assurances of fair trials and judicial independence during the emergency, a concern mentioned also by Camp.

The British foreign secretary said all trials must follow due process, without deference, fear, favour or discrimination, when asked about his thoughts on trying high-profile corruption suspects, including the two detained former premiers.

Specifying even further about what Britain’s perception of the trials’ political consequences, he said the court must find someone guilty following due process of law but there must not be ‘prejudice’ against particular individuals.

Camp’s statements about the trial of detained former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina echo Miliband’s perspective.

The High Court on February 6 declared Hasina’s trial under the Emergency Power Rule illegal as the alleged crime was committed before declaration of the state of emergency.

Miliband was not appeased by reports of lower human rights abuses under this government, saying, “Any human rights abuse is too much, there are basic standards that need to be adhered to.”

Camp was more specific about US concerns with human as well as ‘civil rights’. He said US concerns about the freedom of press, freedom of speech and labour rights featured his discussions with the government.

But he stopped short of saying that he received assurances from the government saying they “understand the concern and have received the message”.

Yet, by the conclusion of Miliband’s trip, the international community’s sights are set firmly on the elections for which they were willing to overlook their own concerns with the due process of trials, human and civil rights.

This reveals that what is at stake is not only Bangladesh’s future, as Miliband stated, but also reputation of the international community who have so strongly backed this government.