Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was reelected Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a fourth consecutive term on Jan. 7, by an overwhelming majority. She quickly received congratulations, and expressions of hopes for broader economic relations, from China, India, Russia and Brazil, among other nations.
Not from the Anglosphere, however. The United Kingdom, Canada and U.S. questioned the election results, issuing statements now typical for gearing up regime change operations in the name of “democracy.” Take the State Department, for example:
“The United States supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression…. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated.” The U.S. condemned violence (being blamed on the Hasina government) before and during the election, “encouraged” the government “to credibly investigate reports of violence,” and looks forward to “supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties.”
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, when asked for comments on the U.S. and U.K. statements, replied: “We’re not worried.”
In fact, Bangladesh is a developing nation of some 173 million people with a history of fighting for development. It has been targeted by the Malthusian imperialists since Henry Kissinger’s 1974 infamous NSSM 200 depopulation operation. It was the first South Asian country to join the Belt and Road Initiative, with 7 railways, 12 highways, 21 bridges and 31 power stations built with the help of Chinese companies to show for it. Russia is finishing construction of Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant, sending the country its first supply of uranium in October. Neighbor India has been working on expanding regional transport and digital connectivity, trade, energy and investment with Bangladesh. Brazil intends to deepen its relations, “for the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation and the fight against poverty, hunger and the climate crisis,” its Foreign Ministry said.
For the Anglosphere, Bangladesh is merely a geopolitical prize. The U.S. Institute for Peace described in a Jan. 1 piece on the importance of the then-upcoming elections, how “Global Powers Woo Bangladesh”:
“In contrast to its domestic situation, Bangladesh has in recent years drawn positive and solicitous attention in the realm of geopolitics. In 2020, then-Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said the United States was committed to growing its partnership with Bangladesh as `a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region.’ The U.S. Agency of International Development’s 2023 Country Development Cooperation Strategy cites Bangladesh’s strategically important `geographic location connecting South and Southeast Asia.’ A 2023 U.K. development report calls Bangladesh `a key player in upholding the Rules-Based International System’ in the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the Japan’s then-ambassador in Dhaka, Ito Naoki, called Bangladesh a `vital country in geopolitical terms,’ and last year French President Emmanuel Macron visited Bangladesh to `consolidate’ France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy in the face of China’s `new imperialism.’”
