How effective are Bangladeshi diplomats abroad?

There are 60 Bangladesh missions abroad- 46 embassies/high commissions, two permanent representative missions to United Nations, two deputy high commissions and rest are sub missions. Though there could be debates over the numbers of Bangladesh missions abroad (is it too many or do we need more?), one might feel tempted to explore further their performance and evaluate how they are aligning with the emerging need of commercial diplomacy- market access for `made in Bangladesh commodities', `serving the interest of non- resident Bangladeshis', `competitive sourcing' for our producers/exporters or more importantly protecting/safeguarding country's interest in various international forum, multilateral or bi-lateral agencies. Most of the Bangladesh diplomats in the then Pakistan foreign service played a significant role in the emergence of Bangladesh and even after independence. From eighties our foreign service was made to host increased number of guests from other services and somehow failed to maintain the sanctity of the service itself. From nineties, there were increasing numbers of political appointees too. Interestingly many of the Bangladesh diplomats failed to embed themselves in the changing demand of the target market and serve the emerging interest of the country. To my surprise, I watched in early nineties the dead body of a Bangladeshi worker in Dubai, UAE being sent back home by the Indian co-workers, while our consul there remained indifferent. In many Middle East countries, we have seen our mission offices or officials engaged in various irregularities with regard to manpower export and management. The people in the Bangladesh missions in Japan and the UK were seen involved with many non-resident political hoodlums, who were largely responsible for making the Biman Bangladesh a bankrupt entity. Surprisingly, I have seen political appointees in the UK and Saudi Arabia doing a good job while handling `people issues' in the early nineties. Our diplomats in India, China and even in the USA most of the time did a good job in highlighting national causes when needed. Credit goes to the selectors. They did not make any compromise while selecting the leaders for those missions. The USA, the UK, China, India, Japan- these are being unofficially treated as major missions for Bangladesh Foreign Service as well as polity. In the recent days, our missions in Turkey, Germany, Italy, Thailand and Vietnam are also becoming important. Middle East, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore gained importance due to large number of Bangladeshi wage earners there. During last 40 years or so, we have heard about Tarique Karim, Faruque Chowdhury, Faruk Sobhan, ARS Doha, Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, Mustafa Faruk Mohammed, Mahmud Ali, Muhammad Faruque, Barrister Murshed, Humayun Kabir, Nasim Ferdous, Nasima Hyder, Tufail Karim Hyder, Mahmud Hasan, Safi Sami, Ashfaqur Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman,Jahangir Sadaat , and Jamil Mazid, all doing a good job in their humble capacities. A few of them really proved their `mettle' during crisis or tension period in the region, especially during the Indo-Bangla relationship fallout, Bangladesh-China tensions or Bangladesh-Myanmar disconnects. However, I do admit that my interaction with non-resident friends in those countries has been very limited. In the light of the changing global scenario, increase in global, regional and intra-regional trade, Bangladesh Foreign Service people should be groomed up well and on an all rounded basis with due emphasis on the changing need of this emerging trading nation, where food and energy security is a growing problem for the domestic economy. People from this service should only be put up in the important missions. While political appointees may be sent to fill up the UK and Middle East positions, the selectors should be very choosy in this regard. The person should be able to engage themselves well with the social and political elites in the host countries while remaining fully committed to the Bangladesh interest there. I have not seen defense officials being put up in any important missions, at the same time didn't hear anything great about them too. University teachers and `self proclaimed' civil society representatives came out to be a failure in most occasions. Our experience in Bahrain, Senegal or even Switzerland in the immediate past was rather bitter. Most of appointees were either `self -massaging' or inward looking. They were not capable of serving Bangladesh's interests abroad. The only beneficiary of the immediate past military backed interim regime ambassador in Geneva was found to have enjoyed best `government paid holiday' there- writing or collecting romantic poems, using a public office in getting his next job sorted out or serving the interest of his previous organization. Not good at all. Whoever decides to join an overseas mission must have in his or her mind the reality of an emerging nation, its requirements and interest. We are a developing country with too many issues to be sorted out with our trade and development partners. At the same time we need to brand our country well. Let the non-residents get more engaged with the social and political fabric of those countries and serve Bangladesh interest as and when required instead of trying to promote district-ism in those countries. We also need support in ensuring access for our students to good educational institutions in those countries. We do also need the support of institutions or governments there to help our capacity building or skill development. (Mamun Rashid is a banker and economic analyst. He can be reached at:mamun1960@gmail.com)