Why did Bangladesh vote in favour of Iran?

Reuters

A draft proposal on the existing human rights situation in Iran was passed at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 April 2023. A total of 23 votes were cast in favour of the proposal mainly placed by several European countries. Eight votes were cast against the proposal while 16 countries refrained from voting.

Bangladesh voted against the proposal. Along with Bangladesh, the countries which voted against the proposal and in favour of Iran, are Bolivia, China, Cuba, Eretria, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Vietnam.  This list clearly indicates which club Bangladesh has joined on human rights issues. India, Malaysia and South Africa are among those countries which refrained from voting.

The people of Bangladesh have a sort of sympathy towards Iran. We were university students when there was an Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979. Even among the left-leaning students, there was a sort of support for the Iranian revolution in the fall of extreme rightist and oppressor Reza Shah.

The real picture of post-Iran revolution was exposed after Khomeini expelled elected president Abolhasan Bani-Sadr, his fleeing the country for his life and the execution of foreign minister Sadiq Qutbzadeh.

At one stage, Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, who was sentencing the dissidents to death at random, came to the centre of discussions.

As in any religion-based state system, it was the women who were most affected in the regressive journey of Iran.  Suffering from multiple crises, the priority of the country this week was whether the women were adhering to the law of hijab. People gathered to monitor this and even CCTV cameras were installed.

For a long time the situation in Iran has been a matter of concern for the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council passed resolution S35/1 on 24 November 2022. The resolution was on the gradual deterioration of the human rights situation, especially issues of women and children in Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the proposal, a decision was taken to establish an independent fact-finding mission whose task would be recording the incidents of human rights violation, especially human rights violation of women and children since the beginning of demonstrations on 16 September 2022. It's main task is to collect, preserve and analyse information.

The mission will contact the Iran government, civil society and stakeholders including different organisations of the UN.

The proposal was adopted in 25-6 votes--16 countries refrained from voting. (Bangladesh was not a member of the Human Rights Council at the time). Human Rights Council president formed a three-member fact-finding mission led by Bangladesh's Sara Hossain on 20 December 2022. Other members are Pakistan's Shahin Sarder Ali and Argentina's Viviana Krsticevic. The mission has been asked to verbally give updates by June-July 2023 and a request was made to submit the final report at the 55th session of Human Right Council in March 2024.

Bangladesh generally does not favour any party on a country specific issue. But this is not mandatory. Casting a vote in favour of Iran is a violation of this policy. But this happened at different times earlier. The Human Rights Council passed a resolution No (A/HRC/47/L.11) on Myanmar Rohingya Muslim and other minorities' human rights'.

Extreme violations of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities were condemned in the resolution. Myanmar had been called on to resolve the situation and take necessary steps for the repatriation of Rohingyas. The country specific resolution was adopted anonymously without voting.

But if there was voting on the resolution or if such a proposal is made tomorrow, Bangladesh certainly will vote in favour of the resolution. A country specific resolution was made about the human rights of the Rohingya of Myanmar in the General Assembly of the United Nations and voting had been held more than once. Bangladesh naturally voted in favour of the resolution (for example draft resolution A/C.3/75/L.34, Date 18 November 2020, A/C.3/74/L.29, Date 14 November 2019, A/C.3/73/L.51, Date 16 November 2018).

In fact, foreign policy is not unchangeable. Only one issue is permanent and unchangeable. That is national interest. So any foreign policy related decision will be taken to maintain the national interest. So let us see how far this voting in favour of Iran has played a role in protecting our national interest.

Under the policy of 'Friendship to all, malice to none', Iran is our friend. There is are historical and cultural links too. Once a good number of physicians would work in Iran, but that is now past. Trade is limited. We had to undergo a lot of trouble to adopt a decision in favour of Rohingya Muslims at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Meanwhile, we have huge interests in the West. The destination of about all of our export items is Europe and America. The west is the source of investment and remittance. All support on Rohingya issues comes from the West. Our voting in favour of Iran will undoubtedly displease them.

It can be perceived that our ambassadors in Europe will face trouble. Many in our country criticise the double standards of the West on the question of human rights. Their observation may be right. But we have neither competence not the capacity to evaluate and judge the stance of the western countries. On international issues, Bangladesh has to take decisions considering its interest, not anything else.

Bangladesh's voting in the Human Rights Council in favour of Iran can in no way be considered to be in favour of national interests. The decision was unnecessary and wrong. Why could we not remain from voting like India and Malaysia? There is no logical answer to the question.

*Md Touhid Hossain is former foreign secretary

*This article, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been written in English by Rabiul Islam.