Clinton Visit and the US-Bangladesh Relations
17 May, 2000 · 356
Kanchan L. writes on Clinton's visit to Bangaldesh
The recent visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton to
Bangladesh
, the first of its kind, is a landmark in the history of United States-Bangladesh relations. It is an indication that
Bangladesh
figures high in
U.S.
policy towards
South Asia
. Apart from agreements signed on issues regarding energy and the social sector, the visit underscored
U.S.
emphasis on promoting ties with Islamic democracies. The U.S. President commended
Bangladesh
for its moderate from of Islamic governance. Significance was also attached to its democratic system and policy of discouraging the unconstitutional overthrow of elected civilian governments. President Clinton praised
Bangladesh
for becoming the first country in
South Asia
to ratify the CTBT.
Bangladesh
are:
Bangladesh
.
Bangladesh
's attempts in bringing down the total fertility rate from 6.6 twenty five years ago to 3.3 today, and for the Grameen Bank led initiative in micro-credit enterprises.
Bangladesh
to deliberate upon the privatization agenda. The lack of private capital has led to an underutilization of the energy resources in
Bangladesh
. The estimated natural gas resources in Bangladesh is approximately 10-12 trillion cubic feet and, with further exploration, the projected figure is approximately 50-60 trillion cubit feet. For
U.S.
investments in this sector which is approximately $ 700 million to increase, the onus is on
Bangladesh
to widen its consumer base.
Bangladesh
will have to explore markets in the region, especially
India
.
U.S.
multinational companies, Enron International, Unocol, and Paugaea, are already negotiating for integrated gas pipeline networks. For others to follow, there has to be a considerable degree progress in the regional energy integration initiatives. The focus must shift towards cross-border arrangements with geographically contiguous countries. The projected South Asian Growth Quadrangle initiative linking
Bangladesh
,
Bhutan
and
Nepal
with the North-Eastern state of
India
, mooted in December 1996, is still at the conceptual level. The show progress is because of the perceived danger of an inequities distribution of gains to the asymmetry in the sub-region favouring
India
. Any move by the Sheikh Hasina government to gorge deeper ties with
India
in the natural gas sector would be countered by the anti-India rhetoric of the opposition led by Begum Khaleda Zia. Under these circumstances, it is surprising that the Bangladeshi Premier accorded priority for meeting only the domestic requirements and ensuring reserves for the next 50 years, before embarking on an export agenda. In the light of deepening
U.S.
interest in
Bangladesh
's natural gas reserves, the focus will shift to the responses of various regional actors. A re-examination of the energy strategy might witness move sub-regional and regional initiatives gaining momentum.
Bangladesh
is that this would have mitigated its grievances with the
U.S.
role in the 1971 war of liberation. Driven by Cold War logic, the
U.S.
had sent the USS Enterprise to intimidate the liberation forces. It had also delayed granting recognition to
Bangladesh
. The bilateral dialogue also focussed on the issue of deporting the alleged assassins of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, currently undergoing trial in the
U.S.
The two countries are to work out the modalities of an extradition treaty to handle such matters in future.
The significant initiatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) pertaining to the energy and social sector in
- A $ 30 million energy initiative for privatization and the efficient use of energy
resources.
- A $ million grant to the Grameen-Shakti organisation, an affiliate of the GrameenBank micro-credit enterprises, a successful venture in
- A $ 97 million in food assistance, through projects undertaken by World Vision, an American Non-Governmental organisation.
- A lean under the new Tropical Rain Forest Conservation Act.
- A $ 50 million South Asia regional power and clean energy initiative for Bangladesh, India and Nepal that will encourage three-way co-operation in the energy sector.
- $ 4 million to be spent on education and skills training for women and girls, and prevent trafficking in women.
These initiatives would help in strengthening decentralized governance and improving the status of women and children. The U.S. President placed on record his appreciation of
The USAID initiatives would influence the policy establishment in
Since the domestic market is not large enough
The only sour note during the Presidential visit was the cancellation of his scheduled visits to Joypura village and the Martyrs Memorial at Savar which contains the mass graves of those massacred before
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