Bangladesh must be aware of spillover

Former diplomats and political analysts yesterday underscored the need for political stability in Bangladesh so that the country could escape unrest if tension spills over South Asia after partial withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan early next year.
There is a possibility that instability will originate in Afghanistan after the pullout, which may affect this region, they told an international conference on “Afghanistan beyond 2014: Implications for South Asia” at a city hotel.
“It is very difficult to say whether stability will prevail in Afghanistan after the partial withdrawal, as the country has a long history of violence,” said former ambassador Ashfaqur Rahman.
Replying to a query, he said there was little possibility that militancy would emerge again in Bangladesh over the security issue in Afghanistan.
Political analyst Prof Dilara Choudhury said, “Many of us fear that radical groups may emerge in the country if stability fails to prevail in Afghanistan.”
"It is better to be aware of that," she told the daylong conference, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS).
British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert W Gibson said stability in Afghanistan was vital for development of itself as well as for South Asian states including Bangladesh.
BIPSS President Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman gave the welcome speech, while some other former diplomats and politicians also spoke.