Safeguarding National Security In An Unstable World

Bangladesh Flag. Wikimedia Commons.

US President Donald Trump’s latest cat and mouse race to secure a peace deal with Iran is visibly unpredictable, as the most powerful man on earth has been caught in Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war for a Greater Israel. The latter has succeeded to drag the US into the war with Iran to fulfil his 30-year dream, as leading think tank of the world Jeoffrey Sachs of Columbia University sees it. 

Iran’s success to hold on to the forts by an asymmetric warfare against the joint attack by the mightiest militaries of the world is an example for countries like Bangladesh which is without nuclear power in a nuclearised South Asia. Iranian leaders knew it’s not their job to militarily defeat the US-Israel forces, but to prevent them from subduing them and undermining their sovereignty. They had set their national goals and objectives formulated their own narratives, did the hard work of scientific and technological advancements, decentralised the command structure and have shown the world, they have prevailed in two successive undeclared wars. Iran was confident of its resolve and strength while US and Israel sought win over the Persian state “at its weakest time in history”.

The war has exposed Bangladesh’s energy, economic and diplomatic vulnerabilities that evolved through decades of appeasement policies under the wrong notion of friendship with all and malice to none. Dhaka in at least for nearly 16 years has been seen as an obedient partner in regional affairs to the extent that even Myanmar and its non-state actor– the Arakan Army – damn care. But things were different in the late seventies. It failed to make use of the diplomatic depth of being a member of the OIC, the Group of 77 and the founder of the SAARC and strength of the people who fought their way to independence.   

Dhaka should now steer clear of diplomatic isolation and vulnerability by working hard to overcome energy, economic and strategic compulsions, by increasing national wealth accelerating production, and cementing national unity by ensuring equality of opportunities.