Govt mulls recast of foreign ministry

The government policymakers are contemplating steps to recast the foreign ministry for its diplomatic failure to handle the 'propaganda' against Bangladesh and the ruling four-party alliance, highly placed sources said.

Top policymakers believe the ministry has miserably failed to uphold Bangladesh's image abroad when an anti-Bangladesh campaign is being carried out globally.

Moreover, the existing set-up of the foreign ministry has proved to be ineffective in pursuing economic diplomacy and presenting Bangladesh and its causes properly to the international communities, the sources said.

The policymakers are also unhappy with the performance of the foreign minister. "He (FM) is busy with his own business, rather than leading the foreign ministry," a government high-up told The Daily Star yesterday, wishing anonymity.

A number of senior ministers who so far have backed M Morshed Khan are unlikely to support him in his continuing office as the FM, sources said. "But everything depends on the prime minister. And she will take the final decision," said a policymaker.

He said the government has already started the process of recasting the ministry by sending Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury to Washington as Bangladesh ambassador and appointing Hemayet Uddin the new foreign secretary.

A few more changes are on the cards, he told The Daily Star.

It has already been reported that most of the Bangladesh missions abroad have become ineffective and failed to speak on behalf of the government to the international communities in dispelling the ongoing anti-Bangladesh propaganda.

The missions also missed the export targets set for the last financial year, sources said.

The recent donors' meeting in Washington indicated that the international communities are not happy with the government. A number of powerful countries like UK, Japan, Germany and Denmark were critical of Bangladesh and suggested economic sanctions on Bangladesh, but the United States did not respond to their proposal.

After assuming office, the four-party alliance government adopted the 'look east' foreign policy, but the move did not succeed. Bangladesh-China relations had faced strains over the opening of Taiwanese office in Dhaka, drawing widespread criticism.

The parliamentary standing committee on foreign ministry has recently observed that the 'look east' policy has been on paper, not in reality.

Relations with India also deteriorated in recent times. A number of government policymakers have partially blamed the foreign minister for his failure to maintain good relationship with the biggest neighbour.

They believe the Saarc Summit was postponed due to the strained relations with India.