US stake in BD's political transition not true

Scholars, diplomats and business leaders gathered at North South University (NSU) on Monday to take stock of the evolving contours of US-Bangladesh relations in the aftermath of the July-August 2024 political transition, amid renewed dialogue on trade, security, academic cooperation and regional geopolitics.

The seminar, titled "The Significance of the July Revolution for US-Bangladesh Relations: Looking Back, Looking Forward", was organised by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at NSU and brought together prominent voices, including former American diplomat Jon F. Danilowicz, Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice-chancellor of NSU, and Professor (retd) Shahiduzzaman of Dhaka University.

The event was chaired by Professor Chowdhury, and the keynote was presented by Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Senior Research Fellow at SIPG.

Special guest of the event Jon F Danilowicz dismissed allegations of American involvement in Bangladesh's 2024 political transition, calling them "a myth" unsupported by evidence. Drawing on over three decades of experience at the U.S. State Department, including three tours in Dhaka, Danilowicz asserted that US policy has been primarily shaped by evolving national priorities, particularly economic and trade interests.

"Based on my interactions with U.S. government officials around the time, I see no evidence that the U.S. government was involved," he said. "Those who put forward an accusation bear the burden of proof."

Danilowicz praised the current interim government led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus for promptly initiating high-level engagements with the Trump administration. "Very soon after President Trump's inauguration, high-level contacts began on a variety of issues, including trade," he noted, positioning these developments as opportunities for a strategic reset.

Responding to concerns that Washington's South Asia policy might be unduly influenced by India, Danilowicz countered, "I don't think you can detect any sign that the United States government is making decisions about Bangladesh policy under the influence of the Modi government."

In a forceful address, NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury slammed the persistent 35 per cent tariff on Bangladeshi exports to the United States, calling it a major setback for the ready-made garments (RMG) sector.

"We are always comparing Vietnam and Indonesia… but the imposition of these tariffs has been a hard hit," he warned. "Eventually, we do not know how we are going to sustain." He raised questions about recent trade deals, such as the annual import of 700,000 metric tons of US wheat, asking whether such purchases were based on mutual interest or political pressure.

On the academic front, Chowdhury lamented the withdrawal of American support for higher education capacity-building in Bangladesh. He also urged greater cooperation between business bodies like BGMEA and universities in formulating policy papers and negotiation strategies. "Our business associations must move beyond club culture and engage with academia in a systematic way," he said.

Adding a provocative geopolitical dimension to the seminar, Professor Shahiduzzaman called for Bangladesh to deepen its defence ties with China, arguing that strategic necessity, rather than ideology, should guide foreign policy.

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