Bangladesh called off its Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed’s India visit at the last minute after severe floods lashed the country and displaced millions of people. General Ahmed was scheduled to meet the top military brass and Defence Minister A K Antony this week. The General, seen as the force behind the interim government in Bangladesh, is currently leading a war against corrupt politicians in the country. He was to embark on a historic first visit to India for studying, among other things, the Right to Information Act and other anti-corruption measures. New dates for the visit have not been announced but sources say that re-planning the tour will take at least a few months due to prior engagements on the Indian side. The General’s visit could have led to a showdown between the UPA government and Left parties due to Bangladesh military’s recent crackdown on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina’s arrest last month, on charges of extortion and corruption, had evoked a strong protest by Left parties. The CPI(M) had said that the act “illustrates how the caretaker authority backed by the military is moving to curb political parties and democratic rights”. Left parties noted the arrest as an “ominous” development and called for immediate restoration of democratic rights and political freedom “given the history of military rule in Bangladesh”. They had also asked for India’s intervention for restoration of democracy in the neighboring country. India has been a bit uncomfortable with the Bangladesh Army Chief and his role in the interim government. Still it was looking forward to the visit, as it saw it as an opportunity to raise several vital issues regarding security forces of the two countries. The Army, in particular, was keen on talking about Northeast insurgent groups based in Bangladesh and the possibility of joint “clean up” operations with ‘someone who understands ground facts across the table. A clampdown on the illegal arms trade across the border and cutting out infiltration routes used by outfits based in Bangladesh were also on the agenda. The talks would have been the first Army chief level talks between the two countries in recent times. While India is keeping an eye on the Bangladesh power play and believes that the interim government will restore democracy, it had distanced itself from General Ahmed since the declaration of emergency on January 11. His planned visit this week was seen as the first sign of a positive outreach from New Delhi.
