US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D Haas is clearly dissatisfied over the December 14 incident in Dhaka, where he and members of his team were intercepted by a group of people while the ambassador went to the residence of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader to investigate the case of his alleged missing. Meanwhile, hours after this unexpected incident, BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s representative in the US, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey began frantic bids in drawing attention of key policymakers in the State Department seeking their comments on it. It may be mentioned here that, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey had been specially assigned by Tarique Rahman to pursue US policymakers as well as the Biden Administration and the United Nations to directly intervene into Bangladesh’s next general elections which is scheduled to take place in January 2024. Tarique Rahman has also been spending millions of dollars through Ansarey in buying influence of US policymakers as well as members of the US Senate and Congress. During the recent months, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey was seen circulating several dossiers prepared by BNP and its attorney Barrister Toby Cadman with the goal of getting dozens of officials of Bangladesh Armed Forces and Bangladesh Police as well as leaders of the ruling Awami League sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury. It is even learnt from several credible sources that Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey had assured Tarique Rahman that William B Milam and other “important figures” had assured him of the sanctions, which according to Ansarey was supposed to be imposed on December 10, 2022.
Meanwhile, a highly-placed source at the US State Department told our Special Contributor Anita Mathur that immediately on his return to the US Embassy in Dhaka, Ambassador Peter D Haas sent a “secret” memo where he has expressed “grave dissatisfaction” over Bangladesh authority’s “unwillingness” in letting the cases of disappearances been investigated. He has also described how his visit at the residence of Sajedul Islam, an alleged “victim of disappearance” was “disrupted” by a “group of ruling party members” carrying placards and photographs under the banner of an organization named Mayer Kanna.
Ambassador Haas spoke to the family members of Sajedul Islam. Sanjida Islam, sister of missing Sajedul Islam, is the coordinator of ‘Mayer Daak,’ a platform of the families of those who have been victim of enforced disappearance.
US State Department Bangladesh Desk officer Lika Johnston accompanied the US envoy there.
Although the US ambassador has termed members of ‘Mayer Kanna’ as ruling party activists, in reality it is a platform of the families of the army and air force members, who were sacked, jailed and hanged following the 2 October 1977 abortive coup by military dictator General Ziaur Rahman, founder of BNP.
Our Special Contributor Anita Mathur further said, at the frantic bids of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the US authorities currently are willing to investigate cases of missing incidents in addition of “ensuring human rights”.
She said, BNP in particular has been trying to use the cases of disappearance as one of the “effective tools” in getting a large number of individuals in Bangladesh under US sanctions.
Commenting on ongoing frantic bids of BNP and Jamaat in Washington, Anita Mathur said, “while BNP and Jamaat men are making frantic bids in putting pressure on Bangladesh through the US authorities, there is no effective or visible counter measures either from the Bangladesh mission in Washington or Bangladesh’s foreign ministry”.
“BNP and Jamaat men are enjoying monopoly here in Washington” she added.
Has Ambassador Peter D Haas become biased towards BNP?
US Ambassador Peter D Haas visited the residence of BNP man Sajedul Islam at the instructions from his home office, while he was accompanied by US State Department Bangladesh Desk officer Lika Johnston. While the ambassador has been sincerely working towards strengthening bilateral relations between Dhaka and Washington, his memo to the State Department containing harsh words proves, the US ambassador might have been acting under influence of BNP leaders as well as local staffs in the embassy, many of whom are reportedly inclined towards anti-Awami League bloc.
Commenting on recent incident in Dhaka and clear dissatisfaction of Ambassador Peter Haas, a senior official in Washington said, following the incident, the ambassador rushed to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, met the minister and expressed his dissatisfaction. This may result in adverse attitude of the US towards Bangladesh. As per foreign policy of the United States, if its envoys turn dissatisfied or suffers from lack of security, the US authorities generally take tougher stance in those cases. In past, United States has taken such tougher stance on many nations. It has even withdrawn ambassador or shut-down its respective mission. Such situation may also lead to imposition of sanctions on a country.
Rejecting this speculation another official said, Biden administration itself is currently under pressure for numerous reasons, while the US Congress will turn extremely hostile towards Joe Biden, members of his family and several leaders of the Democratic Party when the Congress under majority of the Republican Party sits into session in January. Furthermore, the official said, considering current global scenarios and multiple crises in the US, it is very much unlikely that the US would move ahead with tougher actions against Bangladesh.
But the official said, once ongoing persuasion of BNP and Jamaat and other anti-Awami League forces continue in the US and other Western nations, it is very much likely that Washington, along with its Western allies may exert pressure on Bangladesh in ensuring a free, fair and credible election in 2024, failing which, Dhaka may face serious consequences.
