The speech of the Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen dismayed and disappointed the people of Bangladesh who are struggling to restore democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and the press and above all, voting rights.
The ambassador made this comment while speaking at an event held on November 9, 2023. It was jointly organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DICAB) and the Chinese Embassy of Dhaka.
It is generally believed that the ambassador is aware of this constitution that he supported. The incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina prepared this constitution suiting her one-party dictatorial and totalitarian regime. So, this constitution is extremely controversial and was rejected by the people. It must be stated that since 2009, and particularly, 2011, Sheikh Hasina entirely shunned democracy and rigidly established her monarchy in Bangladesh.
Taking the side of Sheikh Hasina, the ambassador indirectly condemned the United States and other democratic countries as a whole, as according to him, these countries interfere with the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
The Chinese ambassador perhaps did not properly evaluate the role of the American government and their allies around the world. The US and the democratic world support the struggle of the Bangladeshis to establish democracy and so they echo their sentiment. We also expect the same support and backing from all other countries and powers, particularly China, as it is our close neighbor and development partner.
But the ambassador unfortunately perhaps failed to ascertain that his role severely damages the current struggle of the Bangladeshi people to oust a dictator, who is a puppet of India. The Chinese government surely knows the extent of atrocities, cruelties and brutalities of the Sheikh Hasina regime, which made her isolated from the people who no longer want her to remain in power.
The Chinese government, under the cover of constitutional bindings, stands favoring the repressive regime of Sheikh Hasina, which is contrary to the sentiment, hopes and inspirations of the people of Bangladesh. Any constitution is changeable and amendable suiting the demands of the people. The people of Bangladesh demand to restore the same system of caretaker government which was framed in 1995 to meet the demands of Sheikh Hasina.
So, the Sheikh Hasina government has no logic to oppose the demands of the people of Bangladesh now. Also, no other government in the world, except China, openly supports the dictatorial regime of Hasina, which is more heinous and audacious interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. China injudiciously stood against the sentiment of the 90 percent people of Bangladesh, which is unacceptable.
China should get lessons from India. India became the number one enemy of the Bangladeshi people for supporting Hasina and prolonging her illegal oppressive regime. Only some agents and puppets, who are accused of anti-state and inhuman crimes support India, as they have no other option. Bangladeshi people have high respect for China and its people. Supporting Sheikh Hasina, China could not lose its respect and confidence. It should maintain its friendship with the people of Bangladesh, not with any party and individual who surrendered everything of Bangladesh to India to remain in power. The Bangladeshis, for this reason, treat India as their enemy. China should not commit the same mistake in case of Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi people do not appreciate the recent comments of the Chinese ambassador who exactly follow the footprints of the Indian hegemonic ways. We are facing two enemies: Sheikh Hasina and her master India. Those who support our existence and independence will surely be treated as a friend in need. We are on the edge of an active volcano named India. We will obviously remain thankful and appreciative to those who will extend their kind support to our struggle for democracy which is equivalent to our liberation war of 1971.
China should honor the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Bangladesh. We give highest value to our independence and sovereignty. According to Sheikh Hasina, 3 million people sacrificed their lives to liberate Bangladesh. China should help us to protect Bangladesh from the Indian paws of occupation under the cover of friendship. We are struggling against the Indian agents. But the Chinese Ambassador’s supportive speech to Hasina hurt our hearts. I would request Ambassador Yao Wen to revise and withdraw his comment, as it proves that he sides with Hasina. She works for India and in exchange India protects her regime.
Our relationship with the US and any other country will not jeopardize the interests of China or any other country. Our great President and proclaimer of independent Bangladesh Shahid Ziaur Rahman first established diplomatic relations with China and at the same time, he had maintained close relationships with the US and all other democratic countries. Being a peace-loving nation, our future government will follow the foreign policy of Shahid Ziaur Rahman. We are friends of all but enemy to none. We will follow this policy and it will remain the foreign policy of the people’s government of Bangladesh. A patriotic government in Dhaka will not be a puppet of any country.
Observers find no equation or logic which prompts China to take the side of Hasina.
She openly works to serve the interest of India. Hasina’s loyalty to India is far deeper, loyal and effective than her sincerity to China. The Bangladesh foreign minister Abdul Momen publicly acknowledged it.
It is totally contradictory on the part of China that the relation between India and China is as like as daggers drawn. Armies of both the countries are deployed face to face along their borders, who frequently engage in armed clashes. Still governments of both the countries are ardently supportive of the Sheikh Hasina regime. However, Hasina’s loyalty to India is far deeper and sincere than that of China, foreign minister Abdul Momen indirectly acknowledged.
A report on the Indian channel NDTV made from Dhaka exposed that Sheikh Hasina’s mafia gang is heavily tilted towards India. Momen publicly said, “Our (Bangladesh) victory is India’s victory, our development is India’s development, nothing can hinder the (Bangladesh-India) relation.”
The minister’s comments came in response to questions about Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi and Beijing against the backdrop of border tensions between Dhaka’s two giant neighbors.”
Independent analysts and military experts opine that India, under the cover of so-called connectivity, uses Bangladeshi territory to and from West Bengal to Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram.
They opine that no one will be dismayed if India asks the Bangladesh armed forces to fight against the Chinese forces in any future war with India. India has already signed such an MoU with Bangladesh to use Bangladesh territory and its armed forces in any future war with any country. Some observers even claim that Bangladesh armed forces have been placed under Indian command, as most of the MoUs or treaties were not discussed in the National Parliament or made public. The contents of these sensitive treaties are hundred percent confidential and known to only Indian army commands and Sheikh Hasina.
So China should review and revise its relationship with the Sheikh Hasina government and her party. China has no room to consider Sheikh Hasina as its ally, as India is her master and patron.
Finally I should say, India is a permanent and universal arch enemy of China. India collects the latest model of arms from all the manufacturing countries of the world. It dreams to emerge as a lone superpower, even beating the US. China will face an Indian attack. Allowing Hasina to remain in power will be injudicious for China as she is extremely tilted towards India. China’s support to Hasina will directly help India to solidify its undeclared occupation in Bangladesh and economically enrich India further. The money that Hasina collects from China as loan, aid, or grant ultimately benefits India. So, China should examine whether its blind support to an Indian surrogate will be a boomerang and a suicidal decision for it. The current role of China will go against its far-reaching strategic interests.
*The writer is a Bangladesh-origin journalist & researcher based in New York, USA.
November 16, 2023
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
