Relations between OIC and Bangladesh

Abstract

This research work aims at giving critical, comprehensive and objective analyses of the Bangladesh-OIC relations which forms a significant aspect in the gamut of international studies. Bangladesh is the second biggest Muslim country in the world. The overwhelming majority of the population of 160 million are Muslims. Historically, the peoples of Bangladesh and the Islamic world have ancient links dating back to the seventh century. Bangladesh showed considerable devotion to Islam and Muslim Ummah through ages as part of South Asia in general and Bengal in particular. During the British period Bengalee Muslims upheld the sentiment of keeping up ties with the Muslim Ummah and assimilated themselves with the international Islam despite the limitations imposed on them. During Pakistan period, the people of East Pakistan had all the concern about Islam and the Muslim Ummah from the depth of their heart. Since the War of Independence of Bangladesh its global Islamic connection had been temporarily detached due to the Pakistani propaganda against Bangladesh in the Islamic world. The leftist elements in politics, secular and socialist ideology and Indo-Soviet inclination became the primary factors of Pakistani campaign and misconceptions of the Arab and other Muslim states. In the first few years after its liberation in 1971, it was essential for Bangladesh to remove misconceptions in the Arab world in order to integrate it with the Ummah and the OIC, the highest body of the Islamic Ummah. Bangladesh successfully removed the gross misunderstanding in the Islamic world by its constant and ceaseless efforts which paved the way for integration of Bangladesh with the Ummah and at the same time it paved the path for Bangladesh’s admission to the OIC. A dramatic breakthrough took place at the Second Summit of the OIC in 1974 by which Bangladesh was formally admitted to the OIC which marked a turning point in its integration more profoundly than before to the global Islamic network. Since joining OIC Bangladesh has been actively participating in its summits and conferences and multifarious activities. Bangladesh by virtue of being a member of the OIC is a member of other institutions and organs as well. It also played very vital role in some standing committees, affiliated, specialized and subsidiary institutions and organs. With the passage of time Bangladesh had been becoming more and more involved in the OIC activities and making fruitful contribution to the OIC that promoted Bangladesh to secure important posts and offices of the OIC and specially to announce her candidacy of the OIC Secretary General four times so far. During the last forty years Bangladesh has made remarkable contribution in some specific issues; i.e. Islamic Common Market, Islamic University of Technology, Islamic Solidarity Games, Islamic Solidarity Fund, Insurance and Re-insurance, Food Security and Agricultural Development and so on. Furthermore, Bangladesh has unique role in some crises in the Muslim World, i.e. Iraq-Iran war, Palestine crisis, Afghan crisis, Bosnian issue etc, under the umbrella of the OIC. Bangladesh has the strong advocacy in OIC in favour of least developed Islamic countries, empowerment of women, plight of Muslim minorities in the world. Bangladesh has achieved much economic gain through participation in the economic activities of the OIC particularly those of the IDB. Bangladesh placed the concrete proposals before the OIC at different times to confront the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah and called upon the Islamic nations to forge greater unity and solidarity to protect their interests in the backdrop of the contemporary global situation. All these activities within the OIC have created a lasting image of Bangladesh in the Muslim Ummah and have positive reflections on the bilateral and multilateral relations with the Islamic countries. The OIC, thus, became an important via medium in enhancing relations with the Islamic states that facilitated Bangladesh specially in the economic arena. At the same time, OIC has some limitations and in some respects particularly in dealing with the political affairs it has failed to prove its potentiality. Bangladesh, being the second biggest Muslim country, is equally liable with other member states of the OIC for this drawback. This study is intended to encompass a broad canvas for an overall treatment of the problem brought under review in this thesis. Descriptive and analytical techniques have been used in order to make an overall evaluation of the activities of OIC related to Bangladesh and Bangladesh related to OIC. In actuality, OIC-Bangladesh relations forms a greater part in the entire arena of foreign relations of Bangladesh as 57 Islamic states are directly involved with the organization and its members have inter-organizational and inter-state relations that facilitates Bangladesh indirectly in enhancing connection with the other organizations and states of the world as well.