India should go for diplomatic offensive

India should start a diplomatic offensive globally to support Bangladesh in tackling the Rohingya crisis, said a former Indian military secretary and international relations expert.

“India should go for a diplomatic offensive, go around the world and tell that we have to overcome this problem. Bangladesh has neither means nor resources,” said Lt Gen (retd) Ata Hasnain, a teacher at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore.

He made the remarks yesterday at a panel discussion on security, counter terrorism and cross-border cooperation organised by Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance in the city's Sonargaon Hotel.

No one in India should be in denial over the Rohingya crisis, Lt Gen (retd) Ata also said.

The remarks came at a time when India remains lenient on putting pressure on Myanmar although allegations are being raised against the latter for committing genocide and ethnic cleansing that has forced over 700,000 Rohingyas to take shelter in Bangladesh since August last year.

Dr Pushpita Das, a research fellow and coordinator of Internal Security Centre at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in New Delhi, said India should support Bangladesh in addressing the humanitarian crisis.

“We can also use our diplomatic initiatives and to some extent put pressure on Myanmar for the repatriation of the Rohingya,” she said expressing caution that the pressure should not push Myanmar away from India and into the lap of China.

The speakers at the discussion said there are security risks in the region for insurgent groups that might use territories in the region to serve vested interests.

General (retd) Abdul Mubeen, former Bangladesh Army chief of staff, said authorities need to be cautious about making remarks over sensitive issues relating to India and Bangladesh since the two countries enjoy a strong friendship.

General (retd) Mubeen made the comment in reference to Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's recent remark about a "planned" influx of people from Bangladesh into the Northeast is taking place as part of a proxy warfare by Pakistan with support from China.

In response, Lt Gen (retd) Ata Hasnain said India is extremely sensitive to Pakistan's activities as Pakistan has been fighting a proxy war in India.

“The fact that Indian territory can be exploited by someone to wage war against Bangladesh is always possible. The same can be [true] on the other side, where the territory of Bangladesh can be used by someone else who is enemy to both India and Bangladesh and our interests.”

He stressed on stronger border control and cooperation to this end between Bangladesh and India to reduce the risks of terrorism. 

Hasnain also said Islamic State is being defeated in the Middle East and now it might concentrate on this part of the world as there are chances of homegrown radicalisation problems.

Professor Rashed Uz Zaman of international relations at Dhaka University also spoke at the discussion that was moderated by Manasi Pritam, assistant professor of political science at Khalsa College of University of Delhi.