Regional cooperation and the challenges Bangladesh faces

Bangladesh is currently going through turbulent times as it tries to find its way out from dictatorial political rule towards an uncertain future. During the past decade,  Bangladesh did achieve significant economic progress, but it came with increased economic inequality, unparalleled corruption, and loss of personal freedom. The past government tried to manage a tough balancing act with India around 80 percent of its border, China being its biggest foreign investor, USA still the biggest market for Bangladesh products, and Russia building its first nuclear power station.

With 170 million people and an ambitious young population with the highest participation of women in the workforce compared to all its south Asian neighbours, Bangladesh's path for the future theoretically belongs in emulating successful models for regional cooperation. Theoretical modelling and reality are two different things. In that context, Ambassador Tariq Karim's book on regional cooperation is a timely publication for the current and future policy makers as well as students of politics and economics.

Ambassador Tariq Karim is intimately familiar with the regional cooperation matrix having served as High Commissioner to India, Ambassador to the United States, South Africa, and Iran. A career diplomat, he is also considered a distinguished academician having taught at University of Maryland (where he served as Distinguished International Executive), George Washington University and Virginia International University. He is currently associated with Independent University of Bangladesh (as Director of the Center for Bay of Bengal Studies) and National University of Singapore.

The book has an interesting history and perspective on how colonial South Asia went from most to least integrated "overnight" after the Second World War. The integration was forced upon the colonies of Great Britain to serve its mercantilist objectives. Great Britain also managed to do this by meticulously planting the seeds of "divide and rule" both among the colonies and within the colonies. It is, therefore, not an accident that the newly independent countries with their new elites and new institutions quickly became each other's enemies and instead of regional cooperation there were more regional conflicts.

The last section of the book deals with the immediate past in which Ambassador Karim had a front row seat and had input in shaping the various models and experiments to bring about regional cooperation and integration among the countries within and surrounding the subcontinent. He notes correctly that the new elite and leaders in the newly independent countries deliberately deepened the divide by focusing on the differences and, particularly in the case of India and Pakistan, became each other's sworn enemies. While EU and ASEAN countries were setting their differences aside and enlarging their spheres of influence by admitting new members, the two largest powers in the subcontinent embarked on shutting down "connectivity with each other, whether in the realm of trade and commerce" or people-to-people exchanges.

Ambassador Karim, clearly an advocate of regional cooperations, puts forward several new propositions in his book–uniting along environmental and ecological challenges or common fear of nuclear war with its devastating consequences. He also suggests fewer countries should try cooperation on narrow issues. Both the EU and ASEAN evolved to their current successful model in stages. In this context, Ambassador Karim also cautions about the "India factor" (the overwhelming size of India with its billion people, huge industrial base, and clear military superiority) and suggests that India needs to be more magnanimous toward its smaller, weaker neighbour-partners.

Among other interesting insights in this fascinating book, Ambassador Karim suggests that SAARC operationally could be a success if it organised along three distinct sub-regional groups–A) Bangladesh, Bhutan, the contiguously located Northeastern states of India, West Bengal, and Nepal (BBIN); B) middle zone comprising of Southern India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka (IMS); and C) a western sub-region comprising of West and Northwest, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (IP). His logic being: What is of immediate interest to one sub-region may not necessarily be of interest to the other region.

The book notes a number of examples of bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh in terms of railway and road connectivity, but those initiatives have also been criticised as being one-sided and disproportionately favourable to India. These criticisms would be less credible if such bilateral successes could be broadened to include land-locked countries like Nepal and Bhutan.

What is interesting and what sets this book apart from a pure  academic exercise is how Ambassador Karim discusses operational challenges and provides a framework of how regional cooperation can work. He advocates a Bay of Bengal Community focusing on common environmental and ecological challenges. Such regional cooperation is a matter of survival for the millions of people who live on the coasts of treacherous Bay of Bengal.

The book has one of the most extensive annexures sections which includes original charter and various declarations from SAARC summits as well as documents on the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India. Those are useful templates for future initiatives and policy makers. The most important ingredient remains a non-quantifiable factor–trust. Trust must be nurtured by the political leaders instead of fuelling suspicion or overt attempt of domination if regional cooperation has the possibility of success. To use an overused adage–it must be WIN-WIN for all parties. 

This book is a "must read" for all South Asia watchers, whether they be academics or practitioners. The publishers have reportedly arrived at an understanding with UPL on making it available soon in Bangladesh.

This is an excerpt. Read the full review on Star Books and The Daily Star website.

Dr. Faisal M. Rahman is Professor & Founding Dean, The Graham School of Management, Saint Xavier University, USA. He writes extensively on South Asian politics, economics, and healthcare. Contact him at rahman@sxu.edu or fmr0007@gmail.com.