'Let the politicians talk to one another ... in the national interest'

DS: Let's start with you telling us a little about yourself. Where and when you were born and brought up and where did you go to school?

Carter: Let's just say that I was born a very long time ago...

DS: So ... you decline to answer the question?

Carter: Yes, that's right. I decline to answer [laughs]. My father was a civil servant and so I grew up in Africa -- Zambia. This was a very formative period for me. It taught me a lot about the relationships between different peoples and the value of tolerance and understanding. In between school and university I returned to Africa to teach. I went to college at the University of Wales, where I read modern history and politics before going onto the University of Durham to do my Ph.D on non-violent resistance in South Africa.

I joined the Foreign Office in 1970 and have been a specialist in African and Asian affairs. Aside from Bangladesh, I have also worked in Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, the Philippines, and India.

DS: What were your impressions when you first got here?

Carter: What did I expect? I suppose I initially expected something of a gloomy picture -- as one does -- but of course that is only part of the story. What I found was an immensely vibrant society with extremely welcoming people who were very keen to advance the relationship between the two countries. And I could not have been prepared for the chaos and confusion that is Dhaka!

DS: What has changed in terms of your initial impressions and what has stayed the same?

Carter: When I first arrived, I had no real understanding of the depth of the culture and history. Bangladesh has a living culture. When I go to people's homes I see modern Bangladeshi art, I see music recitals and dance performances, the local culture is a living thing. It's very, very rich and quite wonderful.

Now, on the other side, I couldn't have believed -- I couldn't have imagined -- how intractable and challenging the political situation could be.

DS: Probably a good time to ask you what your biggest frustrations have been:

Carter: Oh well -- that's easy. Traffic jams [laughs]! The real frustrations of course are the political and governance related problems. Bangladesh has been developing so rapidly economically and socially but it is equally clear that things are being held back by what appears to be unnecessary interference. There is no reason why Bangladesh should be held back in this way. None at all.

DS: Do you have any suggestions as to how best to move forward?

Carter: The advice I would give to the politicians is to think the unthinkable. Do the undoable. Talk to one another. Do it in the national interest. My fear is that if the current climate of mutual distrust and hostility persists then it is the country that will suffer and the parties will themselves lose out if they don't change their approach.

I feel that my time in Africa -- South Africa especially -- has been instructive. What I learned there was the value of lessening confrontation. Take South Africa and apartheid for instance. The post-apartheid period especially was a time when the politicians were able to think the unthinkable. Even extremely bitter political opponents learned to talk to one another and the result -- the smoothness of the transition -- the lack of violence -- was a great benefit to the country -- a real achievement. There's a lesson there for all of us.

DS: How is Bangladesh viewed in the UK?

Carter: Bangladesh is viewed with tremendous respect in the UK. We understand the challenges that you have faced after liberation and the difficulties that you have overcome. We have real respect for the progress that has been made in the last thirty years.

And of course we think of Bangladesh as a special friend with a very special relationship. The principal reason for this is of course that we have between 400-500,000 British citizens of Bangladeshi descent. So there'll always be that connection between our countries.

We also have our concerns. The persistent climate of confrontation and corruption. The law and order situation. This damages development, reduces the prospects for foreign investment, and harms the image of the country abroad.

DS: What have you enjoyed most about your job here?

Carter: I have personally enjoyed the diversity of the job which reflects the diversity of the relationship. I have enjoyed seeing civil society come together and I have greatly enjoyed the opportunities to travel.

DS: Which parts of the country have you visited and which is your favourite area?

Carter: Sylhet. There is of course the particular connection to the diaspora community which always makes it a favourite destination of mine -- but it's also one of the places I really enjoy visiting. Chittagong -- a lively vibrant city -- if only you could get the port functioning properly. Kurigram. Going out to the remote villages -- on the chors -- visiting with the marginalised communities and seeing how they live.

DS: Have you had any particularly memorable encounters on your visits?

Carter: What comes to mind is when the PM Tony Blair visited Bangladesh in January of 2002. We spent several memorable hours in a village where BRAC had been very active in raising the living standard with schooling and health and microcredit programmes -- I can't recall the name -- Demaria perhaps -- but the warm interaction between Tony Blair and the villagers was something I shall always remember.

An equally memorable experience -- though less pleasant -- was when British nationals were kidnapped and we had to negotiate for their release. It was a depressing experience though ultimately successful.

DS: Has the Iraq War been a challenge for you? Has it made your job more difficult?

Carter: The job is always a challenge. But I don't actually believe that the war did make things more difficult. There was a lot of debate and I have had many discussions and arguments with many different people but I always found the tone of such debate respectful and congenial and found that people were really prepared to engage me on a productive level.

DS: Where are you headed from here?

Carter: Well, in the immediate future I am going on holiday but I shall be back in London in a few weeks and then -- who knows?

DS: Here's wishing you a very happy and healthy future. Thank you very much for taking this time to speak with me.