- EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 08/Jul 22:57

Is Bangladesh Embracing Authoritarian China-Pakistan Axis? – OpEd

Projected as diplomatic triumph by Pakistan and China, the sudden and recently held trilateral meeting in June with attendance of government representatives from China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in Kunming has triggered concerns across South Asia’s diplomatic landscape. Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser, M. Touhid Hossain, was quick to label the Kunming meeting a non-political and informal one, downplaying any emerging alliances. But the denial of any alliance fell flat in light of a series of events that took place in the run up to the Kunming meeting rather triggers alarm given the historic context of state backed cross border terrorism to stoke instability in South Asia, reportedly by Pakistan- China axis. Importantly, months earlier, a high-level Pakistan delegation visited Bangladesh to reinvigorate ties under the watch of unelected interim government led by noble laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.  Not to mention, in March, Yunus, during a visit to China, in a veiled threat to India's northeastern states, appealed to China to "extend" in the region. On top of that, Pakistan Army’s decades of persistent denial to whitewash one of the brutal war crimes including genocide inflicted on millions to stop the birth of Bangladesh must be taken into account.   Counting on these diplomatic maneuvers, the Kunming gathering appears to mark the beginning of a dangerous geopolitical maneuver. Behind the diplomatic curtain, efforts to forge a strategic bloc seem to be underway—one that not only threatens regional stability but also risks compromising Bangladesh’s hard-earned strategic autonomy. No wonder for China, Bangladesh is the gateway to the Bay of Bengal and a counterbalance to Indian influence. With Pakistan, China already holds considerable clout. Contrary to popular belief, China and Pakistan do not form a monolithic alliance. Beneath the surface of their so-called “iron brotherhood” lies a web of internal tensions and deep-rooted mistrust. Within Pakistan, Chinese-led projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) turned into a new source of conflict due to opaque plans and further neglect of locals. Many accuse Islamabad and Beijing of plundering local resources, bypassing indigenous communities, and laundering the proceeds into foreign accounts. Despite its internal discontent, Pakistan now seems eager to pull Bangladesh into this web, not out of goodwill, but to serve Beijing’s geopolitical ambitions and shore up its own weakening strategic posture. In absence of an elected government in Bangladesh, China appears to have been aggressively pursuing its goal of exploiting the youngest nation in South Asia to advance its strategic ambition. In his social media post, Bangladesh economist Selim Raihan summed the move as an autocratic one in nature on part of the Yunus led regime and questioned about the lack of mandate and transparency before getting entangled with the project, cited in a BBC Bangla report, pointing out inevitable danger towards Bangladesh behind such sudden diplomatic engagement Pakistan’s Vested Interests in CPEC: A Deep Divide Within It appears at the heart of Pakistan’s interest in the trilateral framework lies the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the centerpiece of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in South Asia. Pakistan hopes to revive and reinvigorate CPEC by bringing Bangladesh into its fold, projecting the illusion of a growing regional consensus around Chinese-led development. But citizens in Pakistan, CPEC has turned in to a hated symbol of deprivation. In fact, it is a source of considerable domestic contention. Balochistan, one of the primary routes for CPEC, remains a flashpoint Local communities accuse both Islamabad and Beijing of pillaging their natural resources while offering little in return. Discontent over forced displacement, environmental degradation, and lack of employment opportunities for locals has turned many Baloch citizens against the initiative altogether. In Sindh, CPEC has been criticized for skewing development toward Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while in Gilgit-Baltistan, it has heightened fears of demographic manipulation. Political parties including Awami National Party (ANP), factions of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) have called for greater transparency and local ownership of the projects, emphasizing how the benefits have disproportionately gone to the military and elite, depriving locals. Moreover, Pakistan’s growing economic reliance on China has triggered fears of a looming debt trap. Assets like Gwadar Port, are now perceived as representations of dependency. In marketplaces, resentment simmers as Chinese goods displace local industries and Chinese laborers replace Pakistani workers. China Pakistan Tango These internal frictions underscore a crucial reality: Pakistan and China are not guided by principles. Nowhere is this dissonance more apparent than in Pakistan’s deafening silence on China’s repression of Uyghur Muslims. This silence testifies to Pakistan’s economic dependence and diplomatic vulnerability. It is through this uneasy and fractured alliance that China now seeks to extend its influence toward Bangladesh. China’s Backdoor Entry: The Bangladesh Gambit By involving Pakistan in this trilateral arrangement, Beijing seeks to use its client state as a diplomatic intermediary to soften Dhaka’s hesitations. But the Bangladeshi government’s reception of this overture has been far from enthusiastic. In the Kunming meeting Bangladesh did not sign the joint press release and rejected the formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG), citing lack of clarity and transparency. Yet even by attending, Dhaka inadvertently legitimized an initiative that could evolve into a new regional bloc designed to undermine India and establish China’s dominance in South Asia. Not to mention, during his recent China visit, Yunus called Bangladesh the "only guardian of the ocean" for India's landlocked north-east and suggested that the region could become an "extension of the Chinese economy." This statement clearly acted as a shot in the arm for the Chinese gamble targeting Bangladesh. Pakistan’s consistent betrayal with Bangladesh citizens : Denial of 1971 war crimes A recent BBC Bangla report unmasked the double standard and  continuation of reliance on treachery and deception by Pakistan regime with people of Bangladesh. Following the high profile visit of Pakistan government representatives to Dhaka led by Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch in April, Pakistan government did not tender apology for the 1971 war crimes despite pressed by her Bangladesh counterpart. The legacy of liberation war has been a source of pride and inspiration for Bangladesh yet the systematic denial of war crimes by Pak army emerged the biggest roadblock. But the biggest blow came when Pak Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif claimed they have avenged the defeat of 1971 during the standoff with India in May, a sheer disregard and undermining of the supreme millions of Bangladeshis killed, raped, tortured and displaced at the hands of Pakistan armed forces, aided by its proxy Jamaat e Islami. As a strong ally of Yunus regime, Jamaat has now spreading tentacles to solidify countrywide political clout. Ranked as third most non state armed outfit Islami Chhtra Shibir, the student arm of Jamaat, sent its top leaders to Pakistan recently and a meeting took place with the student arm of Jamaat -e Islami Pakistan, a move described as a betrayal with Bangladeshi students by student fronts of other political parties.    Pakistan’s record of exporting cross border terror and deceit under cover of diplomacy in Bangladesh After August 5, Syed Maroof Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh, became one of the most active diplomat in terms of social media activities and public engagement, mostly with pro Yunus regime. Yet within less than a year, the envoy took a quiet and abrupt departure on May 11 from Bangladesh without even attending any farewell curtesy calls with policymakers. According to media reports, the envoy stood accused of mor...