Our focus won’t be confined to India, US and China only: Sarjis

Jatiya Nagorik Committee chief coordinator Sarjis Alam has said, “We have to sharpen our vision. We have long been practising a foreign policy of saving ourselves. The new generation will now look more thoroughly at others from their position. Our focus will not be confined to the three countries – India, China and the USA. We will extend our vision up to the two American continents on either side of the Panama Canal through the Middle East and Gibraltar.”

The international relationship and diplomacy cell of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee organised a national dialogue at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies auditorium in the capital on Tuesday under the title, "Rising Economy in Bay of Bengal areas: Role of youth in foreign policy”. Sarjis made those remarks while addressing this discussion.

He said Bangladesh will have to adopt a new foreign policy prioritising national interest following the July uprising.

Sarjis Alam further said, “If anyone wants to exert influence, we will make it clear to them that our approach towards them will be the same as they do. We are not dependent on anybody. We are mutually dependent only.”

“We will have to expand now. Time will say whether land expansion is possible or not. But we must ensure cultural expansion. We have to turn Bangladeshi culture into a global culture.”

Jahangirnagar University professor Shahab Enam Khan said, “We have to maintain our strategic autonomy in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh has resources and water there.” He also urged the Jatiya Nagorik Committee to work to build a national consensus on the Myanmar issue.

Professor Shahab Enam further said, “China, India and USA have interest in the Bay of Bengal. Nevertheless, we have been ignoring our own interests over the last 50 years. We have to focus on that. It’s Bangladesh’s duty to stabilise Myanmar. To ensure that, Bangladesh will have to do whatever it takes. We have to finalise in future whether it would be political, non-political, diplomatic or military actions."

Addressing the event, Jatiya Nagorik Committee joint chief coordinator Akram Hussain said a new political system is not possible without a new economic arrangement.

Nagorik Committee member SM Suja Uddin was among the others who addressed the event conducted by Nagorik Committee leader Mir Arshadul Haque.