Defence deal with US could result in Bangladesh surrendering intelligence sovereignty: Report

Dhaka, March 21 (IANS) The newly-elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government's 'Bangladesh First' policy — if more than just a slogan - must guide all future negotiations on General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)-related agreements with the United States. President Donald Trump’s letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman last month indicates that the negotiations stalled during the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government are likely to resume once the West Asia crisis ends, a report said on Saturday.

According to a report in the international magazine ‘The Diplomat', while not ruling out cooperation with the US, the Bangladeshi government must ensure that any resulting agreement includes “explicit prohibitions on the US using civilian infrastructure for combat refuelling" and a strict “no-base” clause, with GSOMIA barred from enabling foreign surveillance.

Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, received a congratulatory letter from US President Donald Trump on February 18 which offered more than pleasantries.

“I hope you will take decisive action to complete the routine defence agreements that would finally give your military access to high-end, American-made equipment,” Trump wrote in the letter.

The report mentioned that while “routine” sounds harmless, the subtext is gravity-laden.

“A familiar demand for Bangladesh to sign foundational defence agreements with the United States has been raised again by Washington. It comes at a time when the world is roiled in multiple wars and grappling with serious geopolitical crises. Bangladesh is under pressure to choose a security guarantor,” it added.

Citing reports, The Diplomat noted that the US could establish “soft bases” or “lily pads” in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar and Kutubdia under the ACSA, placing the islands within the missile telemetry of rival powers.

“For the vague promise of ‘enhanced cooperation’ from the US, Bangladesh, a nation that fought for independence to ensure no foreign power remains on its soil, could find American boots on its soil. If ACSA is the hardware, GSOMIA is the software — the classified data and signals intelligence that define a nation’s private defence posture. It is presented as a prerequisite for purchasing advanced fighter jets," it mentioned.

The report noted that the US refuses to transfer sensitive technology without assurances that it will not leak to its rivals like Russia or China. Although “protection of information” works both ways, it often leads to a dead end for the smaller partner.

“GSOMIA often compels signatories to 'synchronise' intelligence with the larger partner’s regional goals. West Asia provides a chilling precedent. During escalations of tensions between the US and Iran, nations with similar pacts found their intelligence frameworks utilised for operations they did not necessarily support,” it added.

Emphasising the potential consequences, the report further warned, “If Bangladesh signs GSOMIA and the US enters a hot war, its intelligence apparatus could be pressured to provide data on third countries. Bangladesh risks importing a Western conflict into South Asia, forcing it to surrender its intelligence sovereignty.”

--IANS

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