US embassy made big mistake in its role during 1/11: Ex-US diplomat

Former US diplomat John F Danilowicz has commented that there was a major mistake in US government policy and the role of the US embassy in Dhaka during the army-backed caretaker government of the 1/11.

Danilowicz, a former US deputy ambassador to Bangladesh, made this remark during a discussion on Saturday morning.

The discussion, titled "The Path to a New Dawn in Dhaka: The New Trajectory of Bangladesh-US Relations after the Mass Uprising," was organized by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS).

Former US ambassador to Bangladesh William B Milam and former deputy ambassador John F Danilowicz also participated in the discussion at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium.

The session was moderated by CGS executive director Zillur Rahman, with opening remarks delivered by the organization's chairperson Munira Khan.

Following this, the two former US diplomats answered various questions posed by the moderator, and in the final session, they responded to questions from the audience.

During the discussion, the two former US diplomats shared their views on their country's longstanding commitment to democracy in Bangladesh. They highlighted the role of international partnerships and policy perspectives in supporting Bangladesh's democracy.

William B Milam said, “We formed a small organization and worked to raise awareness among the American public about Bangladesh’s democratic process. Over the past five years, we have arranged funding and continued working to support this initiative. I am delighted to be here in Bangladesh, especially since I couldn't visit the country for the past ten years due to visa issues."

John F Danilowicz said, “(As a U.S. diplomat), I openly acknowledge that the US made a major mistake in 2007-08. However, ambassador Patricia Butenis and my colleagues did not cause the 1/11 events. I don’t believe there was a secret 'coffee group' that made decisions and instructed the people of Bangladesh to implement them. The commitment to democracy made in 1990 was deviated from. To bring Bangladesh back on the path of democracy, fundamental reforms were necessary. At that time, the opinions of generals and brigadiers were given more importance, and the preferences of the people of Bangladesh were not prioritized. We spoke with civil society and political parties, and we spoke with the caretaker government, but we listened more to the military. Perhaps this is why the expectations for the advancement of democracy were not realized."

Explaining their mistakes during the army-backed government, Danilowicz, who had served as a diplomat in Dhaka three times, said, “Our second mistake was that, as the US government and the US embassy in Dhaka, we too emphasized the timeline for elections too much. Elections are certainly important. No government can function without the long-term mandate of the people. The elected government must be committed to its people. At that time, some fundamental reforms were needed. The caretaker government was advancing the reform agenda. However, at some point, it became clear that holding elections and transferring power was their main priority.”

He added, “At that point, the government lost all its influence over the political parties. The understanding between the government and political parties was kept secret, and so we were unable to know under what conditions the former prime minister had reached an agreement with the caretaker government. We were not a part of this process. At that time, we believed that Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League had learned from the past and committed to advancing the caretaker government process.”

The former diplomat continued, “History proved us wrong. Based on what we were told, our assumptions were proven wrong. We saw the gradual decline of the democratic process, which culminated in the 2024 elections.”
Danilowicz further said, "What the interim government is doing now regarding reforms is a reflection of learning from history. In the current complex situation, it is commendable that the government is trying to establish a consensus on reforms by involving political parties and highlighting the importance of a civilian government."