French Embassy in Hot Water After Endorsing Yunus Press Wing’s Statement

Opinion

Many remember the rural proverb: “You can’t make everyone do everything.” In an overzealous attempt to respond to a comment by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the Bangladesh-US spat has now escalated into a heated debate between France and the US.

Tulsi Gabbard, in an interview with several Indian media outlets, stated:
“The long-time unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others have been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration.”

She elaborated on the global threat posed by extremist groups and their ideological goal of establishing an “Islamic Caliphate.” “The threat of Islamist terrorists and the global effort of different terror groups are rooted in the same ideology and objective – which is to rule or govern with an Islamist Caliphate,” she said. “This obviously affects people of any other religion, other than the one that they find acceptable, and they choose to carry this out with terror and very violent ways and means.”

Immediately after this statement, Bangladesh’s interim government issued a swift response. This is where the problem began. According to diplomatic protocol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have responded to Gabbard’s remarks. They could have sought clarification from the US Embassy, which would have explained the official’s comments. Instead, the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing issued a highly aggressive reaction. Now, as the issue escalates, the Foreign Ministry is saying, “This statement is ours too.” But that’s not the end of it.

As soon as the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing released its statement, the French Embassy in Bangladesh shared it on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). This marked the beginning of the second round of trouble. Former Indian Navy officer Manoj Rawat wrote on X:
“It is deeply concerning that the French Embassy in Dhaka is endorsing the Yunus government’s criticism of Tulsi Gabbard’s statement on the genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh. The international community must acknowledge the plight of minority Hindus. It seems France prioritizes its strategic partnership and defense agreements with India over humanitarian issues.”
He added, “It’s time to rid the subcontinent of French misdeeds.”

This comment infuriated the French Embassy. They issued a counter-statement, calling the remarks “ridiculous, baseless, and intellectually weak.”

The US Embassy, upon seeing France’s counter-statement, reacted sharply. They even hinted that this could strain France-US relations.

This threat caught the attention of the French government, which quickly launched an investigation and instructed the French Embassy in Dhaka to retract its statement. Among the three individuals responsible for sharing the interim government’s reaction, one was dismissed. This individual had been hired on the recommendation of an official from the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing. A French news agency official was also involved. Reports suggest more dismissals are likely.

Despite this, the US Embassy remains unsatisfied. They have demanded an explanation from France on how they dared to endorse a reaction against a high-ranking US official’s statement. The US Embassy has also sent a stern message to Bangladesh, asking for an investigation into who encouraged the publication of such a reaction to a sensitive issue involving a senior US official.

The French government didn’t stop at removing the shared post and dismissing a few individuals. It is speculated that France’s trade agreement with Bangladesh may also be suspended. France has been trying to sell Rafale fighter jets to Bangladesh since 2021. The Sheikh Hasina government had previously canceled the Rafale deal due to its high cost. Later, France pressured Bangladesh to purchase 10 Airbus aircraft, which the Hasina government agreed to consider.

An even bigger deal was in the works for France to supply military weapons to Bangladesh. After the Yunus government came to power, France continued its efforts to sell Rafale jets and military weapons. Although the Yunus government assured French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy, it has already signed a deal with China to purchase fighter jets, which could further sour relations.

The ‘Tuesday Group,’ an organization of foreign diplomats in Bangladesh, has expressed concern over the incident. The most senior diplomat among them even questioned the diplomatic etiquette of issuing such a statement.

What started as a “minor share” of the interim government’s strong reaction to US DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s statement has now reached the France-US government level. How much more “damage control” France will have to do remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, those in Bangladesh who support Dr. Yunus, after a day of “Eid joy,” are now left wondering—what just happened? The stern message from the US Embassy in Dhaka to Bangladesh is unlikely to be the end of it. The repercussions may reach the White House, as Tulsi Gabbard’s concerns align with the agenda of US Vice President Eddie Vance, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur, and even President Donald Trump, who are all set to visit India soon. The storm brewing in the northeast is becoming increasingly evident.

-Manjurul Haque
Senior journalist and political analyst