Ex-US diplomats stress rights, responsibilities, democracy in Bangladesh

Two former US diplomats at a discussion in Dhaka have highlighted the importance of the right to freedom, protection of human rights and democracy, noting that rights come with responsibilities.

They said that this is an exciting time in Bangladesh and they want to be part of that with their further contribution as they are devoted actually to human rights and democracy in Bangladesh through their US-based Right to Freedom (R2F), a human rights advocacy organisation dedicated to defending democracy.

Ambassador William B Milam, a former US diplomat and specialist in South Asia and West Africa, who served as US Ambassador to Bangladesh and Pakistan; and Jon F Danilowicz, a retired Department of State senior foreign service officer with extensive experience in South Asia, spoke as the discussion chaired and conducted by President of Cosmos Foundation and renowned scholar-diplomat and former adviser on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bangladeshi conglomerate Cosmos Group, in partnership with the Right to Freedom hosted the session titled "The Role of Human Rights Groups: Before and After July Revolution" on yesterday evening (5 March).

Courtier's Executive Editor Shayan S Khan and Research Associate of Cosmos Foundation and Bay of Bengal Institute Md Umran Chowdhury spoke as discussants. Cosmos Group Deputy Managing Director Masud Jamil Khan delivered welcome remarks.

Dr Iftekhar said a decade and half of predatory politics had snuffed out all the elements of right to speak freely, think freely, and which was swept away by a torrential tidal wave of public protest, which is called the monsoon revolution.

The foreign affairs expert said Bangladesh will need to navigate, oftentimes, with the greatest circumspection through rough seas and even troubled waters.

"Our polity, that is Bangladesh polity, will need to design the kind of institution it sees as best suited to give fruition to our national goals and aspirations," he said.

The foreign affairs expert said democracy, human rights and pluralism are values that provide the bedrock of their civic existence.

"And there is no doubt that a nation with Professor Mohammed Yunus, at the helm, will make the best endeavors to evolve a consensual approach, as he says, to its perceived national self-interest," Dr Iftekhar said.

He said the path can be long and arduous. We all know that we have a hill to climb and waiting will not make it any smaller.

Delivering his keynote speech, former US Ambassador Milam, President of Right to Freedom, said he had written quite a number of articles about Bangladesh and about its political direction from the day when Sheikh Hasina just changed the Constitution until August of this year.

"And I had been told at some point that I would never get a visa again. So, I didn't bother asking, actually," he said, highlighting his previous discussions about possible problems in South Asia.

"And I raised my hand timidly and said, I think Bangladesh is going to be a problem, and I think it's because it's becoming a strictly authoritarian state," said the diplomat.

Milam said they are here to find out how they can help in the efforts that are going to take and that are going to be needed and the challenges of putting the country back together again.

He talked about the things that happened, the people who have disappeared and the money that has been stolen and looted and the real damage to Bangladeshi institutions. "Certainly it's going to take a lot of work.

Danilowicz, Executive Director of Right to Freedom, said this is an exciting time in Bangladesh and they want to continue to contribute.

"So we're in the initial stages of thinking about what it would look like for the right to freedom, to have a presence here in the country, to be here more often, to partner with different organizations to add our perspective," he said.

The former US diplomat said the concept of freedom is very fundamental and there are obviously civil rights, freedoms, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and also economic freedom. "So that's our agenda."

He said there were severe restrictions on freedom of speech in Bangladesh and he knew there were also reasons why open, honest discussion could not always take place here on the ground.

"We each acted independently. But it soon became apparent that we had common goals, common interests. Now we have been labeled alternatively as pro-BNP, pro-Jamaat, pro Yunus. We've been vilified as members of the deep state," the former US diplomat said, adding that the reality is they were advocating on behalf of principles, and it was motivated by an interest in Bangladesh.

He said the people of Bangladesh deserved more than they had, and that they believed that given the values of the United States, respect for human rights and freedom would help form a foundation for stronger relationships between the two countries.

"So, this was the approach we took, and I think it was helpful. I won't claim credit at all. What Right to Freedom did was not the reason why Sheikh Hasina had to flee Bangladesh on August 5. The change in Bangladesh was solely the result of decisions made by Bangladeshis and the courageous actions of those who went on the streets to challenge the coercive powers of the state," Danilowicz said.

He said they were open that they were cheerleading for those forces because they wanted to see a change.

"We knew that Bangladesh deserved better, and when the change happened, we applauded that. But that does not mean that this was something that we orchestrated. It was not part of some grand design that we had. The revolution as it were, was born and raised and came to fruition here in Bangladesh," Danilowicz mentioned.

Shayan Khan thinks political violence still remains rampant in Bangladesh and these are the things that need to be looked at.

But having all that, he said, they have to realise, and always remember that the country is in a transitional phase.

"Six-seven months after 16 years of what we had is nothing. It's absolutely nothing. We have to give it at least two, three years for things to settle down, I think, and then we can actually say whether what we had was a success or will it fall short of his promise," Shayan Khan said.

Responding to a question, he said they need a situation where the rights they enjoy are for everyone.

Khan said one of the most often-heard refrains in the situation that has developed post-August 5 is "Akhon to-o baak-shadhinota achhe (We have freedom of speech now)".

There was an almost automatic assumption that the fall of the dictatorial regime would lead to an automatic resumption of freedoms, he said.

Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus of the interim government encouraged the media to be outspoken and transparent in their coverage, particularly when critiquing the government, Shayan said.

Dr Yunus has urged them to promote national consensus through their writings and has welcomed their suggestions and has instructed them to publish any mistakes or faults of the government without hesitation, while also cooperating with his administration.

CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam too has been very vocal in asking for the press to write freely and constructively against the government, Shayan said.

"But slowly, as the months have passed, we have come to the realisation that rolling back the clock so as to cleanse ourselves in one go is actually a pipe dream," he mentioned.

Umran highlighted the absence of checks and balances with lack of democratic elections over the last 15 years leading to one-party rule.

"We have seen extrajudicial killings, state sponsored killings, sponsored state sponsored kidnappings, arbitrary and unlawful detention, secret prisons and torture chambers," he said, adding that by any measure, the spate of human rights abuses during the Hasina regime outweighed the human rights record of any previous government in Bangladesh's history.

Umran said many of the police were political recruits and remain in office in different positions and the police have a habit of not accepting or refusing to record complaints from victims.

Mass cases implicating innocent and uninvolved people have continued even after the interim government took power, minorities have come under attack, he said, adding that journalists and politicians associated with the previous regime have been detained en-masse and property rights have come under pressure, with property being vandalised and destroyed in many places.

Umran said one of the reform recommendations to the interim government has been to set up an independent Prosecution Service. "If the interim government seriously moves in that direction, I think, we can improve law enforcement as a whole."

Masud Khan said they in Bangladesh appreciate the concerns of their friends in the US and around the world in endeavouring to assist by exposing and introducing them to the tools that helped them to advance these regards in their own societies.

"True, our experiences have been different, and it will be important to bear this in mind as we seek to emulate those examples. We in Bangladesh do share a historic passion with them for equitable parameters of rights and freedoms for all," he said.

Masud said the July revolution of 2024 was the most recent example of the fulfilment of those aspirations.

"We thank all our friends around the world for their friendship, support and concern for our struggles. We are grateful for their relentless support to causes so dear to our hearts," he said.