Bangladeshis needn't worry over Trump's immigration policy

Imtiaz Ahmed

Trump would want to see elections in Bangladesh as soon as possible
In the past 128 years, no US president has received such a large mandate. Donald Trump has succeeded in the electoral and popular votes, as well as in seven swing states. This makes his second-term inauguration especially significant.

Trump's mandate this time is very clear. The victory reflects voters' consensus on two major issues: peace and stopping wars. Under Joe Biden, two wars were ongoing. Trump directly pressured Netanyahu to stop the Gaza war, as heard in leaked phone calls. This can be seen as a reflection of his first mandate. In his speech, Trump said, “I want to be a peace builder and stop all wars.” The key question now is how effective this approach will be in Ukraine as well.

Another reason for Trump's mandate is his slogan, “Make America Great Again,” implying that America is no longer “great.” This signifies America’s decline. Trump stated in his speech, “The decline of America will stop today.” Various problems have arisen within the US due to ongoing wars and the maintenance of military bases.

Internally, the US has decayed. Infrastructure is deteriorating, and the manufacturing sector has moved abroad. Trump has spoken about the healthcare system as well, wanting to bring major changes. One key change is that America’s allies will no longer get things for free; they will have to spend.

This includes NATO. Trump has told Europe that NATO's expenses must increase by 5 per cent. America can no longer bear these costs alone. It’s clear that if Europe increases its spending, they will become more active partners rather than mere dependents on the US. This could enhance Europe’s defence capabilities, giving them the chance to act independently, which would be a step towards a multipolar world order, something Trump appears to accept.

Since America is no longer great, stopping its decline is only possible through partnerships. Trump aims to create a framework for this, where Europe, for example, will now need to spend. This was previously covered by the US, as seen when Trump withdrew funding from the World Health Organization after taking office.

He claimed that the US was spending too much, and others, like China, should contribute more. If China increases spending, its authority will grow as well. In this way, Trump implicitly acknowledges the shift towards a multipolar world. How much of this will happen, only time will tell. However, the people’s mandate is clear: peace and restoring America’s greatness.

The issue of immigration is another point of concern. Trump’s main focus is to curb Hispanic immigration from South America, which has been increasing in the US. Some believe that Hispanics will soon become the largest language group in America. Trump has even suggested renaming the Bay of Mexico to the Bay of America.

He aims to stop illegal immigration, but not legal immigration. The US cannot survive without immigration, and this is not a major concern for Bangladesh, as most of its immigrants are legal. A system of legal immigration allows a country to control illegal immigration.

Before and after the US elections, Trump has tweeted twice about Bangladesh. One tweet concerns the treatment of minorities, which is not a new issue. The previous government in Bangladesh had also been considered by the US on this matter. Another tweet mentions that Trump will build a close relationship with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

This is clear. The Republican government will push for elections in Bangladesh soon. The US ambassador to India has already mentioned this.
If the Democratic Party were in power, they might have been more flexible about the timing of the elections. However, the new US administration will likely push for a quick election in Bangladesh.

It should be noted that the previous Democratic administration had also begun discussing these issues. Therefore, this is not something unique to the Trump administration. However, there is no doubt that the Republican government wants to see an elected government in Bangladesh as soon as possible.

**Imtiaz Ahmed is former professor, Department of International Relations, Dhaka University

**This column appeared in the online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Rabiul Islam