Dear oh dear!
Mahmudur Rahman | Saturday, 19 March 2011
Mahmudur Rahman
A couple of days after asserting his government's decision and the statement of our foreign minister that Bangladesh would follow the law whether it pleases or not others, William Blake, the US under-secretary is due to visit. His assertion has been backed up by US ambassador James Moriarty who, while carefully phrasing his words to suggest it is Bangladesh's call, still harps on the theme of 'mutually acceptable' in the Muhammad Yunus Saga. That's as it may be. Given Yunus' international standing this can't be unexpected. The 'Friends of Grameen Phone' group continues to swell in its ranks with former French Premier Michelle Rocard, the latest to sign up. But it was a seemingly unconnected media report relating to a wikileaked cable that raises a few questions. The cable in question relates to the Prime Minister's adviser Gowhar Rizvi's view that he didn't want the Prime Minister to delay returning from her visit to India last year. From politically strategic angles that may have had its merits. The question pops up in the continuation of the leaked cables, whereby it transpired that Rizvi met the US Ambassador before going to India with the Prime Minister and telling him as such. The cable also reveals that the foreign ministry was not involved with the preparation for the visit until shortly before and uses some uncomplimentary words about the ministry bureaucracy. It would appear that two of the Prime Minister's advisers spearheaded the pre-visit discussions and preparations. Even if that is understandable, what is not is why Rizvi needed to apprise the US Ambassador of his concerns, that too just before the visit? The report, carried in an English daily made no comment or introduction. It just repeated that what was contained in an Op-ed article in the Indian daily The Hindu of Tuesday, March 15. That article by Nirupama Subramanium also made few comments than to rehash the contents of the wikileaked cable. Perhaps the biggest question remains over the timing of the published report. Was it coincidental? If so, it was a strange one. (The writer be reached at mahmudrahman@gmail.com)
A couple of days after asserting his government's decision and the statement of our foreign minister that Bangladesh would follow the law whether it pleases or not others, William Blake, the US under-secretary is due to visit. His assertion has been backed up by US ambassador James Moriarty who, while carefully phrasing his words to suggest it is Bangladesh's call, still harps on the theme of 'mutually acceptable' in the Muhammad Yunus Saga. That's as it may be. Given Yunus' international standing this can't be unexpected. The 'Friends of Grameen Phone' group continues to swell in its ranks with former French Premier Michelle Rocard, the latest to sign up. But it was a seemingly unconnected media report relating to a wikileaked cable that raises a few questions. The cable in question relates to the Prime Minister's adviser Gowhar Rizvi's view that he didn't want the Prime Minister to delay returning from her visit to India last year. From politically strategic angles that may have had its merits. The question pops up in the continuation of the leaked cables, whereby it transpired that Rizvi met the US Ambassador before going to India with the Prime Minister and telling him as such. The cable also reveals that the foreign ministry was not involved with the preparation for the visit until shortly before and uses some uncomplimentary words about the ministry bureaucracy. It would appear that two of the Prime Minister's advisers spearheaded the pre-visit discussions and preparations. Even if that is understandable, what is not is why Rizvi needed to apprise the US Ambassador of his concerns, that too just before the visit? The report, carried in an English daily made no comment or introduction. It just repeated that what was contained in an Op-ed article in the Indian daily The Hindu of Tuesday, March 15. That article by Nirupama Subramanium also made few comments than to rehash the contents of the wikileaked cable. Perhaps the biggest question remains over the timing of the published report. Was it coincidental? If so, it was a strange one. (The writer be reached at mahmudrahman@gmail.com)