Addressing “security concerns”

Security concerns over its citizens apparently have got the Japanese to adopt a "go slow" approach on the large scale project at Matarbari. The closing bid for the project was extended from July to August and then to October 24. The two main Japanese firms, Marubeni Corporation and Sumitomo Corporations were asked to submit their proposals by this time but apparently there are security concerns on the Japanese side despite repeated assurances by the government that these have been addressed. 

Needless to say, the US$6.7 billion project is of immense importance to Bangladesh's "China plus one" policy and the financing of which would be covered by Japanese loans. The project involves the construction of two 600 megawatt coal-fired power plants in Matarbari and construction of a deep-sea port there for carrying in coal. From what has been reported in the press, our assurance of providing security with members of Ansar, police and armed police have not been enough to convince Japanese nationals to come back to Bangladesh with their families. This trust deficit has apparently is also threatening to derail the much-talked about Dhaka Metrorail-6. 

This is a government-to-government deal and the major hitch is security not finance. The July terrorist attack put a lot of countries on the edge about Bangladesh. But then, there has been no major terrorist attack in the last so many months and there have been significant crackdowns on militant outfits and suspected militant outfits. So why are the Japanese not convinced? The problem is ours and not theirs – in that we have to come up with measures that will put the trust back in our foreign development partners. That we have turned down requests for private security armed guards has not gone down well. Indeed, the offer for more police and Ansar was not the answer that was sought. Our laws may not allow for private security details to give protection to foreign companies, but perhaps that is something we should review given the ground realities. It is not possible for our existing law enforcement agencies that are already spread thin tackling this new threat to be providing foolproof security to the numerous Japanese interests (about 68 private and nongovernment entities operate in Bangladesh). 

When we take into consideration that the Chinese have recently pledged some $40+ billion in foreign investments in infrastructure projects and the influx of hundreds of Chinese nationals who will be pouring in as experts, those security concerns have simply multiplied exponentially. Security protection for personnel on the ground, facilities where they operate from and actual sites will require special protection, because future terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out. 

Bangladesh is not the only country on the "one road one belt" initiative. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor being implemented is considered a flagship project of the "Belt and Road" initiative and has seen the Chinese pump in $46 billion in investments in that country. While Pakistan's security problems are far larger than Bangladesh, policymakers in that country have not taken the concerns of the Chinese lightly. According to a report in the Dawn newspaper in August, "The Parliamentary Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was informed on Friday that a Special Security Division (SSD) comprising 9,000 Pakistan Army soldiers and 6,000 para-military forces personnel has been set up for the security of the project and individuals working on it." 

This is perhaps the sort of assurance the Japanese and the Chinese will be hoping to get from us. While the security concerns of foreign missions have largely been addressed as they are concentrated in the diplomatic enclave in Dhaka, the same cannot be said when it comes to foreign owned and operated commercial interests. We need to get our act together on such matters. It makes sense to raise a separate force dedicated to protecting high value installations and personnel involved. Yes, there will be costs involved, and that means separate allocation in the budget to raise a force and maintain it on a year to year basis. These are worthwhile investments on our part if we hope to assuage security concerns of foreign partners. What the size and composition of a force like this would be is a matter for security experts to ponder upon. However, given the experience with the Japanese, we should seriously mull over the issue because we need those investments to transform the economy. 

The writer is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star.