Author: UNB, Dhaka
Publication: The Daily Star
Date: March 18, 2005
After harmonising positions on Nepal,
the US is keen to work with India on Bangladesh where it sees a 'general
deterioration' in security and rise of fundamentalist elements.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice conveyed Washington's interest during talks with Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh during her first visit to India on Wednesday, a senior US embassy
official in New Delhi said.
"There was an expression of interest
in working together in Bangladesh," the official was quoted by Indo-Asian
News Service as saying.
Asked about US concerns regarding
Bangladesh, the official spoke about the "general deterioration in security"
in that country.
"This is another area where we think
the stability level of the region has deteriorated," he said. The official
was referring to violence and "growing assertiveness by fundamentalist
groups in that country".
Following is the detail report of
the Indo-Asian News Service found on internet:
The official referred to the spiralling
violence and the growing assertiveness by fundamentalist groups in that
country and the way Dhaka has reacted to these concerns in the international
community.
"This is another area where we think
the stability-level of the region has deteriorated," he said.
The US proposal comes at a time
when India-Bangladesh relations have been going through a rough patch over
New Delhi's charge that Dhaka has allowed several Indian insurgent groups
to set up bases in its territory to launch anti-India activities.
New Delhi had cited the security
situation in Bangladesh as one of the reasons to keep away from the scheduled
Saarc summit in Dhaka in early February.
Bangladesh denies the charge that
it is harbouring Indian insurgent groups and says it is India that gives
refuge to fugitives from the country.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in a
speech in parliament this week, said that allegations of Bangladesh harbouring
extremists and al-Qaeda terrorists were nothing but a conspiracy against
her government.
"These are nothing but conspiracies
against the government of the four-party coalition," Khaleda Zia said.
She criticised the observations
of some foreigners - foreign diplomats and members of donor agencies -
on the situation in Bangladesh and said: "Stop interfering in the internal
affairs of our country."
Rice, in her press interaction here
Wednesday, spoke glowingly about the "outstanding cooperation" between
the US and India to meet the "challenge to democracy in Nepal" and referred
to how the ambassadors of the two countries in Kathmandu have been trying
to get the kingdom back to multiparty democracy.
"I think it shows that India and
the US have regional responsibilities, also increasingly global responsibilities,"
she said.
She also referred to India's quick
response to the tsunami disaster and described the mobilisation of its
air force and navy to help the countries of the region as "extraordinary."
"That was extraordinary, that shows
India's potential is very great to help resolve humanitarian and other
needs for itself and the world," she said.
