Internal political rivalries and factionalism within Bangladesh present severe diplomatic challenges, fostering an ad hoc approach to foreign affairs rather than one anchored in strong, consistent institutions, speakers warned at a book-launching event on Saturday.
The participants also expressed grave concern over the growing politicisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, observing that political patronage frequently takes precedence over professional statecraft.
The event, organised by the Association of Former Ambassadors (AOFA) at the Foreign Service Academy, marked the publication of two books: Serendipity of Diplomacy by former ambassador Mahmudul Hasan, and In Search of Role Model by M Fazlul Karim.
Former Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan highlighted how domestic political considerations often place diplomats in precarious situations, particularly when foreign governments engage with Bangladeshi opposition leaders.
“It presents a major challenge when the leader of the opposition visits a foreign country. What level of protocol and support should the embassy extend in such cases?” he asked.
Recalling an incident during his tenure in New Delhi, Sobhan noted that the leader of the opposition had been invited to meet the Indian prime minister, with the Bangladesh mission invited to attend.
“We faced a situation in Delhi where the leader of the opposition was invited to meet the prime minister, and the mission was asked to be present. How should Dhaka view such an occurrence?” he remarked. “It ought to be viewed as entirely standard practice, as would be the case in most nations. In our case, however, it nearly cost the diplomat concerned his post. These are the systemic problems we face.”
Internal factions and diplomatic sabotage
Sobhan further disclosed that domestic political factions and cliques have, at times, actively worked to undermine Bangladeshi candidates competing for major international appointments.
Recalling his own candidacy for Commonwealth Secretary-General, he revealed that a rival domestic faction had approached Indian officials, urging them not to vote for him. According to Sobhan, the faction falsely claimed that the sitting prime minister was on the verge of withdrawing or altering his nomination.
He also recalled being targeted by anonymous smear letters circulated widely within the Foreign Ministry during his tenure as foreign secretary. The letters absurdly accused him of acting simultaneously as an agent for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Sobhan argued that such internal feuds – involving political appointees, ministers, and career civil servants – seriously impede effective foreign-policy leadership, particularly in the sphere of economic diplomacy.
He cited historical disagreements between former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman and Foreign Ministry officials, explaining how competing political interests repeatedly thwarted attempts by the ministry to assert its co-ordinating authority over international economic negotiations. Consequently, key policy-reform reports were suppressed due to institutional friction.
Imperative for institutional reform
The speakers emphasised the urgent need to strengthen institutional co-ordination and ensure that foreign-policy decisions are driven by national interests and professional expertise rather than factional loyalties.
They also underscored the necessity of building a broader political consensus on major diplomatic objectives, particularly when Bangladesh seeks international backing for senior multilateral posts or engages in high-level bilateral diplomacy.
The event was attended by former foreign secretaries Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Md Hemayet Uddin, and Masud Bin Momen, alongside a distinguished gathering of retired ambassadors and diplomats.
