Our defeat in the OIC race

Our Prime Minister herself put her weight behind the country's candidature while visiting any OIC country or attending international conferences. We sent delegations to almost all the OIC countries. Why did it never occur to us that the table may be so disparagingly turned on Bangladesh? Did it all happen in the conference or behind the scene? If so, there was obviously neither the grasp of the buildup nor an inkling of the shape of things to emerge with a finality.

If we had correctly assessed and analysed the changing currents and cross-currents in the Islamic diplomatic world perhaps we would have withdrawn our candidature. After all, there had been withdrawal of Bangladesh candidatures on two previous occasions, with the difference that this was done in deference to consensual choices. But isn't an honourable exit better than an embarrassing finish?

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The moment the consensus-based approach was set aside, the comparisons of credentials between candidates with an eye to challenges facing the Islamic world after Afghan and Iraq wars became a critical input in shaping the choice of the winner. That's where our bid was put to a severer form of diplomatic test. In the essence, therefore, Bangladesh's debacle has been reflective of diplomatic and analytical failures to gauge the mood and temper of the Islamic world.

The post-election remarks of our candidate that the pro-Israeli camp has staged a victory are neither going to enhance of our goodwill with Ankara, nor with the countries which supported Turkish candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, nor the OIC as a whole.

We would like to see the OIC take on the new challenges successfully under the new secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.