For its ultra-Islamist ideology and desire of turning Bangladesh into an Islamic republic, similarly as Pakistan, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is perceived as a party that would turn the country into a neo-Taliban state once it returns to power. Moreover, BNP on document is known for its alliance with Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas. Although US administration as well as its envoy in Dhaka, Peter D. Haas has been openly supporting BNP and applying numerous tactics of bullying ruling Awami League, it was already reported in the media that behind such desperation of President Joe Biden and his administration was his son – Hunter Biden, who has been hired by BNP as its lobbyist in exchange for a large amount of cash. Biden faced criticism for supporting pro-Hezbollah Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
According to media reports, leaders of BNP consider Hezbollah as a heroic organization while back in 2006, it had named a bridge as ‘Hezbollah Bridge’, while a senior leader of BNP told AFP: “I named the bridge Hezbollah because of our love for the Lebanese resistance group.
“Hezbollah is the only group which is fighting Israel and the bridge is named after the group as a mark of honor”, he added.
According to media reports, in 2006 then coalition government of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami named a bridge as ‘Hezbollah Bridge’ honoring the Lebanese terrorist group. The bridge is located in the southern part of the South Asian country, spanning the Batakhali River in an area known as Cox’s Bazaar. Junior communications minister Salahuddin Ahmed named the bridge after the Lebanese group at the height of Hezbollah’s war with Israel.
The bridge was renamed in 2013 by the Awami League government.
Bangladesh’s former Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan and a senior leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) issued several strong statements on the war, calling Israel’s actions “state terrorism” and “religious terrorism” and accusing the United States of sponsoring it.
Although the United States has identified Hezbollah as a terrorist group, and the Bangladesh government has been trying to convince US lawmakers that it is a “moderate” Muslim country, the government has taken no action to revoke the honor. During Hezbollah’s recent war with Israel, several Arab and Muslim countries were muted in their condemnations of the Jewish state and equivocal about supporting Hezbollah.
Although back in 1971, Palestinians directly opposed the Bangladesh war of independence and its leaders including Yasser Arafat had been violently and openly opposed to the emergence of Bangladesh. According to documented facts, during the war of independence of Bangladesh, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in “Mandatory Palestine” had openly called upon the Muslim nations to extend support towards Pakistan.
Yasser Arafat, at the request of Pakistan had travelled to a number of countries with the agenda of getting support towards Pakistani occupation forces. In Arafat’s eyes, Bengali freedom fighters were seen as “terrorists”.
The so-called Palestinian Embassy in Bangladesh does not hide the fact of its opposition to the latter’s war of independence. In the website it is said, “The relationship between Bangladesh and Palestine, particularly the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), can be traced as a far back fight for liberation in 1971. While at first, most Arab states were hesitant to recognize the newly-established state- Bangladesh. But relations quickly warmed in 1973 when Bangladesh supported Palestinians’ fight against Israel during the October War, including sending a medical team and relief supplies for Palestinians.
“Relations between Bangladesh and Palestine are considered to be one of the brotherliest and cordial as Bangladesh always advocates for an independent Palestinian state and is firmly against Israeli occupation. Bangladesh has always called for an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Bangladesh has a complete ban on trade (indirect and direct) with Israel as Bangladesh does not have any diplomatic relations with Israel still today.
“Bangladesh is one of the 137 countries to recognize Palestine as a state since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on November 15, 1988. The first high-level meeting between the two countries took place in 1974 at the second OIC summit between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Yasser Arafat. Since then there have been high level contacts which resulted in the visit of Yasser Arafat in 1981 and 1987.
“A relationship with the PLO was established around that time period, in which Bangladesh allowed the opening of a PLO office in the capital, Dhaka, and PLO officials were frequent guests at events hosted by the Bangladeshi political and diplomatic corps.
“The affinity with Palestine became so strong and so entrenched within the Bangladeshi society that in 1980 a postal stamp was created depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter, the al-Aqsa mosque in the background shrouded by barbwire, and words that saluted Palestinian freedom fighters as “Valiant” in English and Arabic.
“According to a September 1988 US Library of Congress report, the Bangladeshi government reported in 1987 that – 8,000 Bangladeshi youths had volunteered to fight for the Palestine Liberation Organization. The announcement came after Yasser Arafat visited the country that year and received a warm welcome from media and political circles and people across the country.
“Since the 1980s, under IMET (International Military Education and Training) there has been development of military ties between the PLO and Bangladesh with the former attending one year courses at the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong. Palestine is represented in Bangladesh by the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Dhaka”.
It should be further mentioned here that, on February 4, 1972, Israel had sent a letter to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs giving recognition to the newly born country. Earlier, the Jewish State had offered assistance and cooperation to Bengali freedom fighters in its war of independence against the Pakistani occupation forces. According to information, Khondoker Mostaq Ahmed, killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the then Foreign Minister had secretly turned-down the Israeli recognition at the advice of his Pakistani masters.
Following October 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel, several key policymakers in the Biden administration had strictly instructed Bangladesh Nationalist Party not to “repeat the blunder of issuing any statement” in favor of Palestinians as it would be deemed as “supporting terrorism and terrorist entities such as Hamas”. As the message reached BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, he had asked party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and most of the pro-Palestine, anti-Israel, anti-Semite and Jew-hating leaders in the party to strictly refrain from “uttering a word” on the matter. As a result, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and even Jamaat-e-Islami refrained from saying anything on Hamas pogrom and Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which is seen as “smart diplomacy” by a large number of western policymakers.
