The last ambassador to be so busy was “Peter Haas”

Opinion

The High Commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Ahmed Maroof, has been extremely busy during his time in Bangladesh. His schedule is more packed than that of any advisor. Like a political leader, he has been traveling from one end of the country to the other. The interim government has been providing him with the highest VIP protocol. Since the tenure of U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas (2003-05), Bangladesh has not seen such an active and busy ambassador.

Let’s take a look at his activities over the past month:

– January 29: The Pakistani High Commissioner visited Rajshahi Medical University and Medical College, meeting with the authorities there. A delegation from Rajshahi University also met with him.
– February 5: He attended a farmers’ gathering at Harihara Government Primary School in Shailkupa Upazila, Jhenaidah. Also present were the Fisheries and Livestock Advisor, Farida Akhtar, and the Attorney General, Advocate Asaduzzaman.
– February 6-7: He went on a “vacation” (!) to Inani Beach in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, with his wife. Although it was called a vacation, he held a lengthy meeting with a Rohingya team during this trip.
– February 24: The Pakistani High Commissioner visited Chittagong with a three-member delegation. He met with the Vice-Chancellor of Chittagong University, expressing interest in opening an Urdu department. He had lunch at the Chittagong Boat Club and held closed-door meetings with several “important” (!) individuals. Later, he visited the BSRM factory. This was his second visit to Chittagong within a month.
– February 26: He traveled to Rangpur, where he held day-long meetings with business leaders from the Rangpur Chamber of Commerce. He proposed separate duty-free facilities for agricultural products from the Rangpur region, though how this would be possible remains unclear.

These are just his activities outside Dhaka. The common feature of these trips is that, while he participated in various public programs, the Pakistani High Commissioner primarily held long meetings with local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists during these visits. The administration provided him with maximum support, including maintaining secrecy.

In Dhaka, he has been constantly visiting the offices of various advisors. He has met with the Health Advisor at least three times in a month. He holds daily meetings with politicians, journalists, anti-discrimination student representatives, and so-called “civil society” members. On February 11, he held a lengthy meeting with the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami at the party’s central office in Dhaka.

Take a closer look at the areas the Pakistani High Commissioner has visited: Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Jhenaidah. If you think these are normal diplomatic activities, then it’s clear you don’t understand diplomacy or politics.

So, think a little. Practice thinking. It won’t be hard to understand which direction the country is heading.

– Aminul Haque Palash
Blogger and Online Activist