Anticipating foreign intervention ?

By Fakhrul Alam, Siddeswari, Dhaka
11 December 2003, 18:00 PM
As published in a well known daily, JSD Chairman Hasanul Haq Inu in a press conference held at Col. Taher Auditorium on December 2, expressed his concern over rising of a hard-line radical force in the country. He said that military intervention by the US or India might occur in Bangladesh.

How could he reach such a ridiculous conclusion? We did not hear anything harsh about rising of a radical force in Bangladesh either from the US or from India. Rather, the USA and western countries consider Bangladesh a moderate Muslim country and the US Ambassador in Bangladesh and spokesmen of the White House acknowledged the same many times.

Then what is the source of Mr. Inu's remarks? Is he authorised to make statement on behalf of other countries, or does he want to encourage military interference in the country from outside? This is quite unexpected from a veteran politician who is also a party chief. The simile he presented between Iraq and Bangladesh is hardly plausible. Apprehension of such interference does not seem logical. But what appears from his statement is that it is the anticipation of some quarters who would be happy with such intervention.