A useful interaction

Significantly, the third dimension of weather-taking with the opposition must have proved useful too. As a matter of fact, the contacts occasioned by the visit were broad-based pointing to a certain resurgence of interest in Bangladesh and also a proof that we are coming increasingly under focus, we are being watched, talked about, and evaluated for what's happening in the country.

Let's not be too conventional into thinking either that all the dynamics of the Rocca related visit coursed through a rigid bilateral policy framework. For, in today's most critically inter-dependent world, bilateral relations cannot walk lonely furrows, these cannot be exclusionary to core global concerns. That way, no amount of inferiority complex need lower any country's self-esteem; all countries, big and small, have something to give and take, something to exchange between them of mutually complementary values.

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The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs and Bangladesh government functionaries have had useful discussions covering a broad range issues. The outcome of Rocca visit can be seen through the prism of friendly concerns and anxieties, constructive criticism and counsel, and assurances of cooperation in certain fields.

She has urged strong action on those who have masterminded and launched a campaign of persecution against the Ahmadiyya community. This rabid form of violence by basically anti-religious reactionary forces is tarnishing our age-old traditions of religious tolerance, societal harmony and inter-communal co-existence. This is also threatening to jeopardise our moderate Islamic country image. Rocca's unambiguous deprecation of extra-judicial killings is gauged from the fact that she regarded these as unacceptable to the US as it is to the rest of the international community.

There cannot be any second opinion about her observation on political violence to the effect that it could have been curbed by now if the culprits in the massive grenade assault of August 21 on opposition leader Sheikh Hasina and the lethal bomb attack on former finance minister SAMS Kibria were caught and punished.

Her pointers to portents for extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh should be taken seriously, not forgetting though that we have been a victim of some extent of maligning of our image overseas by unfriendly quarters. At the same time, we must extricate ourselves from the denial mode we often fall into.

All of this, we, in the media, and the broader civil society never tired of pointing out. In fact, many of Rocca's comments would strike a responsive chord almost universally.

Washington's assurances for support to Bangladesh's bid for duty-free access of her goods including readymade garments to the US market are a good tiding. Bangladesh, a Muslim majority democracy, hopes for greater US cooperation in not only fighting terrorism but also economically changing her lot.