Bangladesh Is Not for Sale: A Citizen’s Warning Against Foreign Interference

This isn’t just a technical arrangement. It is a political act with long-term implications. And if we look to history, the warning signs are clear.

Foreign "Monitoring" That Led to National Ruin

Syria. Libya. Sudan. Iraq. Each of these nations allowed international human rights missions, advisory teams, or so-called humanitarian corridors to operate. And in each case, what began as "monitoring" ended in something far worse.

In Syria, half a million people were killed, and over 7 million displaced. In Libya, a human rights-backed mission turned into NATO airstrikes and the country plunged into militia chaos. Sudan’s civil war intensified even as UN agencies operated on the ground. Iraq, under international "training" and "support" programs, saw its sovereignty and stability eroded beyond repair.

We must ask: is this what we want for Bangladesh? A country that is peaceful, proud, and imperfect—but capable of solving its own problems. Why must we follow in the footsteps of nations that now suffer the consequences of foreign-managed futures?

A Thousand-Year Journey of Bengali Dignity and Defiance

Bengal’s story stretches back more than a millennium—through Pala-Sena empires, flourishing ports on ancient trade routes, and a unique cultural tapestry woven from Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic threads. During the Bengal Renaissance, luminaries like Raja Rammohan Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, and Kazi Nazrul Islam transformed our land into a crucible of spiritual and social reform.

In 1952, our youth rose and sacrificed their lives for our language—our identity—at the Shaheed Minar, uttering a collective defiance: “Chaos shall not silence our mother tongue.” That flame lit a path to our 1971 Liberation War, where we stood as equals in humanity, not subjects to others’ whims.

Rabindranath Tagore reminded us:

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high… Into that heaven of freedom… let my country awake!”

And when his pen wrote “Ekla Chalo Re"—"If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone"—it became our anthem of self-reliance and courage.

Kazi Nazrul Islam, our Bidrohi Kobi (Rebel Poet), echoes in our hearts:

“I am the rebel eternal… High, ever erect and alone!”

This thousand-year journey—from empires and intellect to martyrs and liberation—speaks not of subservience, but of courage, identity, and unwavering defiance. It is the moral backbone that empowers us to reject any effort to dilute our sovereignty under the guise of “monitoring” or “aid.”

Interim Government: No Mandate for Foreign Deals

Constitutionally and democratically, a caretaker or interim government in Bangladesh has a very narrow mandate: to maintain law and order, prepare for elections, and ensure a level playing field—nothing more.

As clarified in constitutional interpretations, and reaffirmed in the Supreme Court ruling (2024) on the “doctrine of necessity,” an interim government is not authorized to sign international treaties that affect national sovereignty, foreign policy, or border security.

According to the legal tradition of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh (1996–2006) and democratic best practice, interim regimes are to act as custodians, not policymakers.

Yet this interim government has overstepped: signing a UN OHCHR agreement, engaging in secret U.S. trade negotiations with embedded military and surveillance clauses, and even proposing a dangerous Myanmar humanitarian corridor—all far beyond its constitutional scope.

This is not reform—it is an illegal and unaccountable overreach.

Dangerous Geopolitical Patterns

These moves aren’t isolated—they follow a proven formula:

Human Rights Monitoring → Sovereignty Undermined

Trade Deals with Strings → Military Realignment & Foreign Dependence

Corridor Initiatives → Border Insecurity & External Entrapment

Bangladesh is now being treated like a soft state—despite being politically stable, culturally rich, and sovereign. We are not Libya, not Sudan, and not Syria—and we will not become one.

Trade Deals, Corridor Plans, and Silent Consent

This same interim government is currently engaged in a controversial negotiation with the United States to lower tariffs in exchange for deeper strategic and trade concessions. Reports suggest these deals may include military procurement shifts, data regulation changes, and foreign policy alignments—none of which were ever placed before the people of Bangladesh or their representatives.

And then there is the now-scrapped proposal of a "humanitarian corridor" on the Myanmar border. Though ultimately blocked by military leadership, this proposal could have endangered our borders and drawn Bangladesh into Myanmar’s civil conflict. Even the Chief of Army Staff referred to it as a "bloody corridor." That it was even proposed reflects a dangerous lack of judgment.

This Is Not Reform. This Is Erosion.

There is no denying that Bangladesh faces challenges: corruption, political division, rule of law concerns. But solutions must come from within. Not through unmandated deals. Not through pressure from those who have little understanding of our past, our culture, or our resilience.

Foreign missions do not fix broken politics. They impose foreign logic onto domestic reality. And in doing so, they often unravel the very fabric they claim to support.

A Final Warning

To our citizens, this is your moment of clarity. We are not being helped. We are being handled.

To our civil society, speak up. Silence now will mean irrelevance later.

To the global community: solidarity is not interference. Respect is not supervision. Help us, yes. But never pretend to own us.

Because Bangladesh is not for sale.

And the people of this country—from the villages of Sunamganj to the halls of Dhaka University—will never allow it to be.