Mirpur Papers 2013 Military Diplomacy
MIRPUR PAPERS 2013 MILITARY DIPLOMACY- A TOOL TO PURSUE FOREIGN POLICY Group Captain Md Shafiqul Alam, psc, GD(N) Introduction Diplomacy has so far been the sole domain of the diplomats in Bangladesh. A diplomat is a generalist who learns on the job and pursues the diplomatic process for the government. Modern international relations are such that diplomats and diplomacy have to be much more. It is now a profession that must understand and leverage all instruments of national power to further national interests. The major components of national power are economic, military and soft power. Military being one of the major parts in national power and playing a vital role in pursuing the policy of the government, both the members of the Bangladesh Foreign Service and military have felt the necessity to utilize its military capacities as an integral part of diplomacy. A look around the region makes it obvious that most Governments in this region are heavily influenced by their military. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia are the countries where the military has a strong influence on policy. Military officers have a different value system, thought process and ethos from civilians. They identify and bond far better with other former or serving military officers, irrespective of country, as they consider them fellow warriors. Therefore, if we want to influence a country that has a strong military input in its policy making, we should obviously lay significant emphasis on military diplomacy. It is quite surprising that this self-evident fact escapes many in the government system and we do not consider this aspect while pursuing our relations with countries in our neighborhood.
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