With crucial general elections due in Bangladesh in a few months’ time, the ongoing diplomatic tussle between China and the US-led Western bloc has become keener than ever. As Bangladesh’s large regional neighbour actively funding its infrastructural development, China has left the Western US/EU - led fraternity well behind in terms of ground level influence. Further, frequent and often overdone Western moral lectures to Dhaka-based policymakers in recent times on ‘how to run elections and preserve democracy’ etc, have not gone down too well with educated, younger Bangladeshi voters.

As such, China’s recent reiteration of all support to Bangladesh at the last BRICS summit at Johannesburg, especially touching upon Rohingya repatriation and other major issues, set alarm bells ringing in Washington apparently. For years, the prolonged presence and maintenance of lakhs of displaced Muslim Rohingya refugees on Bangladeshi soil has proved a major strain for the world’s most congested country.

The financial assistance provided by the international community to Bangladesh does little to assuage the overall damage caused to the environment, besides creating problems of population growth, growing crime and endless governance issues!

Given this backdrop, no wonder Bangladeshis have warmly reacted to the assurance that President Xi Jinping gave to Prime Minister Hasina Wazed, if current media reports are any indication.

Beijing Mr Jinping said China was committed to help Bangladesh in settling the Rohingya issue. China did not wish to see regional stability disturbed. While China would always help Bangladesh in retaining its sovereignty, it would never interfere in its domestic policies/politics and help preserve its territorial integrity and culture.

For Sheikh Hasina such a ringing big power support for Bangladesh, long pilloried for its ‘ poor HR violations record’ by the West, could not have come at a better time. Incidentally, Russia too had earlier expressed similar support for Bangladesh.

India also has been largely supportive of the ruling Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh generally. But owing to its close ties with the US, Delhi has generally been more careful about expressing its backing too openly, with general elections nearing. Nevertheless, for all the censure Bangladesh has been subjected to by the West for its handling of opposition demands and HR-related issues, the broad and fairly open support from the growing BRICS international grouping, has been a major help for Dhaka in trying times.

Evidence that the powerful US/EU lobby of nations takes the moves and decisions taken by BRICS countries more seriously than before, came in the shape of a statement about the Rohingya issue by none other than Secretary of State Mr. Anthony Blinken.

Within 24 hours of Mr Jinping’s assurances, Mr Blinken expressed rare praise for Bangladesh for having taken care of nearly a million of displaced Rohingya refugees, in a special statement. Other countries in the region too, had tried to stand by the Rohingyas, he said. The US remained committed to support its efforts to secure a democratic future for the struggling people of Myanmar, and ensure the emergence of an economically inclusive culture there.

There was no noticeable elation in Bangladesh following Mr Blinken’s statement while diplomatic sources expressed cautious optimism over the fairer Western assessment of the present situation in their country. Media analysts indicated that apart from reacting instantly to the categorical support expressed by China for Bangladesh, the tenor of Mr Blinken’s friendlier message might have been influenced by other factors not immediately related to developments within BRICS.

Dhaka establishment circles had sought diplomatic and other help from India in their bid to reduce the prolonged western hostility they had been facing over the AL’s record of governance, its handling of the opposition parties and HR-related issues. Prime Minister Wazed had publicly declared that the West was clearly trying to end her rule as the country’s Prime Minister and seeking the defeat in the next elections of the ruling AL.

She reiterated her stand that the AL would always fight for a secular progressive Bangladesh while making it a more developed country, as its one and only priority, with or without western help. The AL government had taken the unusual stand of summoning the serving diplomats of nearly a dozen Western countries and appealed to them to stop interfering in the domestic politics of Bangladesh.

Not that there had been much of a response from major countries like the US, the UK and others. Most countries followed the US lead. Their media highlighted the demands and struggles of the Bangladeshi opposition parties, their official delegations met opposition leaders and activists separately, often without reference to Dhaka-based officialdom. While alleged corruptions involving ruling AL leaders were criticised in their reports, there was open support expressed for the political sensitive and controversial decisions taken by Nobel Laureate economist Mohammad Yunus, Grameen Bank founder.

His feud with Prime Minister Hasina has continued unabated, with the economist enjoying near total Western backing.

Dhaka had approached Indian Ministers and senior Indian leaders, in both their official semi/official capacities to explain to the US the dangers of a return of old-type Islamic militancy to Bangladesh that an Awami League election defeat may help revive. As India and the US were strategic partners in South Asia region, Bangladeshi leaders felt the ruling Indian leadership would have a special leverage with Washington.

There was also the added danger of Bangladesh being forced to join the pro-Chinese camp of Asian and African countries, in case the US and its allies lean too hard on India’s Eastern neighbour.

Whatever the explanation for the apparent softening of the US on certain aspects of Bangladesh’s policies, observers feel several factors were at work and things would become clearer after the general elections. (IPA Service)