Bangladesh avoids taking sides in Russia-Ukraine war. Is it a reasonable decision?

The Bangladesh government has adopted a “neutral” position in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, with its reluctance to condemn Russia has evoked mixed reactions from analysts.

Masum Billah Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 March 2022, 09:15 PM
Updated : 6 March 2022, 09:41 PM

A professor of international relations at Dhaka University, Dr Imtiaz Ahmed says the government’s decision to sit on the fence in the war is reasonable and vindicated by its foreign policy – “friendship towards all, malice towards none”.

The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman adopted the foreign policy after Bangladesh itself fought a war in 1971 for its independence from Pakistan. His daughter Sheikh Hasina, now the prime minister, has also been guiding the country on Bangabandhu’s principles.

Still, former ambassador Humayun Kabir believes the invasion of Ukraine, a smaller nation, by major power Russia is a breach of sovereignty and territorial integrity. So, all should stand against war.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, has been seeking to join the US-led military alliance, NATO, since Russia annexed Crimea in a 2014 conflict. Thousands of people died in years of fighting between the Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Tensions have been running high for the past few months as Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambition, citing security concerns.

Russia's conflict with Ukraine, the United States and its allies in Europe escalated when Moscow recognised Donetsk and Luhansk, two separatist-held territories in eastern Ukraine, as independent states.

On the morning of Feb 24, Putin announced a military operation in the regions. This marked the first time since World War II that a major war had broken out between two countries in Europe.

In response, the United States and its Western allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Russian individuals and financial institutions.

Bangladeshi businesses are also worried about the situation that has sent energy prices through the roof, casting a shadow on both exports and imports.

Bangladesh buys wheat from both Russia and Ukraine, which produce around 14 percent of the world's wheat and account for almost a third of global wheat exports.

Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant is being built at Rooppur in Pabna with the cooperation of Russia. Analysts fear the Western sanctions will complicate the completion of the project.

The Bangladesh government has been saying it is monitoring the situation since the beginning of the war. The official statement called for resolving the issue through dialogue.

Dr Imtiaz Ahmed

Its statements are conciliatory, peppered with words like “restraint,” and “diplomacy and dialogue.” Importantly, India has avoided condemning or calling out Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

Bangladesh also abstained from voting on a resolution condemning Russia's military operation in Ukraine at the UN General Assembly last week. The resolution, passed by a vote of 141 of the 191 member states, also called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine immediately.

In a debate held before the UN resolution was passed, the Bangladeshi delegation expressed its support for the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and called upon all parties to refrain from conflict.

Prof Imtiaz said, "We've made this decision based on the principles of foreign policy. It doesn't matter what others think.”

"Because everyone knows what’s happening in Ukraine is a murky issue. It's no easy matter that Russia suddenly thought of attacking. So, why should we be dragged into this? The question of taking sides doesn't arise. Why should I suffer losses by taking a side? Why should I abandon my principles?"

Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine and Russia are “neighbours at the end of the day”, the Dhaka University teacher said. “So they must settle the issue. There's no such thing as a permanent friend or a permanent enemy. A friend today may become the enemy tomorrow," he argued.

"But I can't change the neighbours in any way. So Russia and Ukraine have to take a decision on the matter. How they do it is up to them. We want all parties to work together to find a solution.”

South Asian countries India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also refrained from voting on whether the UNSC resolution. Nepal, the Maldives, Afghanistan and Bhutan voted in favour of the proposal.

China, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, Iraq and Vietnam also abstained.

Prof Imtiaz thinks Bangladesh will benefit in the long run for its decision to abstain from the vote. “Because if we go with one side, other countries will construe it as a manoeuvre on our part to gain some advantages. This is not Bangladesh is for.”

Humayun Kabir

Asked if "neutrality" is an option for a country when another country is at war, he said, "We must see why this war happened. When the NATO was expanded from 12 countries to 30, was that reasonable?

“Have we ever protested against that? Today, the United States has 119 military bases in Germany and 24 in the UK. Have we ever questioned that?”

Professor Imtiaz also sees Bangladesh's historical ties with Russia as a reason for its taking a neutral position.

"We've a historical friendship with Russia, and there is no denying it," he said. “What will become of us if we deny it? Where was America in 1971? Today, America is talking about democracy, where was democracy in 1971?

"If you look at these issues, it's complicated. So why should we get into this? We'll show that we have friendship with everyone, not just someone.”

However, Humayun, the former ambassador to the US, said that anti-war fundamentals and global realities need to be taken into consideration in deciding the country’s stance during such a conflict.

“I think we have to take firm decisions when the issue is about principles," he said. “What we're seeing here is that a very large country is devouring a small country on one pretext or another.

”(Ukraine's) territorial integrity and sovereignty have been violated; destructive activities are being carried out. In this case, Bangladesh cannot remain silent.

"We should take a strong stand. We're also a small country surrounded by other countries. We must not only uphold this principle, but also hold it with interest and importance,” he offered.

Humayun Kabir also said that Bangladesh needed to look at the aspect of multilateral relations with different countries in terms of reality.

"In the case of the UN vote, I think reality has surpassed the basic issue. In fact, we've strong economic ties with Russia.

"I think some people associate present-day Russia with the former Soviet Union, which was on our side during the Liberation War. But it must be noted that they're two different things. At that time, the Soviet Union supported us because we had ideological similarities.”

Humayun also noted that Bangladesh will need partners in the West. "If the situation in Ukraine drags on, then I think global dynamics will change. Because it is now leading to a split between global democracy and authoritarianism, which [US President Joe Biden] is trying to promote.

“When the issue gets too strong, we may have to pick a side. Which will then be a challenge for us. "

AK Abdul Momen

The analyst of international relations is of the opinion that the issue of business realities no longer exists due to the unprecedented sanctions against Russia.

“We can no longer do business with Russia. If we talk about reality, then we must choose a side.

“We need to keep a close eye on the situation and continue our dialogue with all parties. We've to decide which way to go by maintaining a close contact with all parties. "

Siding with Russia will bring the wrath of the West upon Bangladesh and it will directly impact Bangladesh’s exports because the US and Europe are the biggest markets of Bangladeshi products, especially apparels, he pointed out. 

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh abstained from the UN vote because it aimed to denounce Russia, not to end the war.

"If you read the proposal, you’ll see it doesn't call for an end to the war," he told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “It's to blame someone.”

“We're a nation of peace. We want peace. No matter where the war is, we don't condone it.”

The foreign minister said, "Our position remains the same. We want peace and stability throughout the world. If there is instability anywhere then it's a problem for us. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how instability can hurt business and trade.”

"Bangladesh wants peace and is the biggest promoter of peace in the world," Momen asserted.