rendra Modi's visit welcomed by progressive forces in Bangladesh

By Swadesh Roy

Once the Chief Minister of Gujarat, rendra Modi was critically featured by the elite intellectuals of Bangladesh, like many of the freethinking countries in the world. A dramatic change is that as Prime Minister of India, Modi is coming to Bangladesh as a warmly-received person by the progressive intellectuals of Bangladesh. What is the catalyst of it? Is it the magnetism of Modi or the right truck foreign policy of India? In India, Modi is a charismatic persolity, having helped to get a massive victory last general election for his party BJP, but in Bangladesh, he is most welcome for his right truck bold foreign policy.  

The people of Bangladesh are crossing a very rough sea now. The helmsman of the boat, Sheik Hasi, has to face every moment heavy wind blowing from the West, demanding so-called inclusive elections, that will not be allowed in their countries. They want all Islamic fundamentalists to be a part in the elections under a bunch of main conservative parties in Bangladesh. Most interestingly, is it possible that Al Qaida or IS will be an ally of the Republican party in America, and American constitution and the civil elite will allow them to participate in the election, in the me of inclusive democracy? Unfortutely, the West is making such demands upon the Sheikh Hasi government repeatedly, in the me of so-called inclusive election.   

Not only the people of Bangladesh, the people of the world know the fate of this type of inclusive election in a country affected by Islamic fundamentalism. In the me of that type of election, extreme fundamentalist Islamic Brotherhood came to power in Egypt. By a military coup d'état, the West has overthrown the leader of the Brotherhood to get rid of Islamic fundamentalist in Egypt. The reality is that, the world will never get rid of Islamic fundamentalist in that country because it is now proven that the military government as well as the elected government of the Islamic fundamentalists --- both made the cocoon for the fundamentalists. They served as incubator keeping the fundamentalist eggs warm. So the only way to purge out forces of Islamic fundamentalism is to help run a progressive government for a long period. Once fundamentalist forces are weeded out of a country, its soil will be fertile for a number of modern, progressive political parties to strike roots and grow..

There is no denying that Bangladesh has been affected by forces of Islamic fundamentalism. So despite all the shortcomings of the progressive front, it is high time for the democratic and modern world order to help a progressive government in Bangladesh. If they do not do it, they will rather help to make another Pakistan or Syria in Bangladesh. It was about to happen in Bangladesh in 2013.  Then the policies of the West were pushing Bangladesh to be another Pakistan or Syria.  India was the only democratic country which pursued the right foreign policy, helping as it could to set up an elected, progressive government in Bangladesh.

Coming to power in India last year through a gigantic majority, rendra Modi did not go backward to his previous policies. Rather he stepped out boldly, because of his strength in parliament. He declared publicly that as the daughter of the tiol Father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasi is the savior of Bangladesh. The Indian Prime Minister's stand has echoed the progressive intellectuals and the new generation of Bangladesh. They are all fighting under the leadership of Sheikh Hasi to save their beloved country from the clutches of Islamic fundamentalists. That is why Modi's  visit to Bangladesh is being welcomed by progressive intellectuals and the new generation here.

Prime Minister Modi is not just coming to Bangladesh with his Foreign minister but also his tiol Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It is widely known that Doval is top-notch interl security expert. The coming of Doval is most important in this visit. The people of the two countries and other countries concerned know that there will be a treaty regarding connectivity to be signed during Modi's visit, which will be helpful for the regiol economy. Bangladesh is the gateway to Eastern Asia and the transit country for India; it is also part of the new silk route of Chi. So opening up connectivity is the opening of a new economy in Asia. However, the truth is that without interl security in Bangladesh and India, opening up of connectivity and the new economy will remain an unrealistic dream.

Clearly rendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasi have realized this truth. For this reason, Prime Minister Modi is coming with Ajit Doval. In the last few years, we have been observing how Islamic fundamentalists are spreading, using the soil of India and Bangladesh. Even the IS members of this region are called the Islamic State Army of India. Sheikh Hasi and rendra Modi are leading politically, but Doval and his counterparts in Bangladesh must draw up plans and execute them to elimite Islamic fundamentalist forces from this region. The progressive people of Bangladesh have been fighting for this for a long time; now the new generations have joined them.

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Jakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He can be reached swadeshroy @gmail.com     

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