What does Qatar hope to achieve from the Emir’s visit to Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nepal?

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has visited three countries in a row. He went to Nepal after Philippines and Bangladesh as part of ‘Asia Tour’.

After his visit to Nepal, he returned to the country on Wednesday. Before this, Mr. stayed in each country for two days. thani

Being a destination for manpower exports and one of the sources of energy imports, the Emir’s visit to the rich Middle Eastern country was aimed at ensuring cooperation in various sectors between the Philippines, Bangladesh and Nepal.

The responsible officials of the respective countries were already talking about different expectations. Investment is one of them.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmood said in a pre-visit press conference, “Qatar, which has a large amount of sovereign wealth, is a potential source of investment for Bangladesh.”

A number of agreements and memorandums of understanding have been signed between the three countries. Five agreements and five memorandums of understanding have been signed with Bangladesh.

The visit of Emir of Qatar is seen as significant for two other countries including Bangladesh.

But, what can Qatar gain and purpose behind this visit?

The 2022 football world cup was held in Qatar. The country did not have the necessary stadiums and other infrastructure for such a large event.

So, after being nominated as the host, the rush to build these infrastructures started.

Thousands of foreign workers were involved in the construction of infrastructure related to the World Cup. The workers are mostly drawn from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and the Philippines.

According to a report by the British daily The Guardian, more than 6,500 workers were killed. Citizens of India, Nepal and Bangladesh died the most. The media highlighted these statistics by analyzing the data of the embassies of the respective countries and the health department of Qatar.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has listed one of the sources of Qatar’s manpower imports in this visit.

Former Ambassador of Bangladesh Mohammad Humayun Kabir told BBC Bangla that it is clear from the tour schedule that they have arranged the issue keeping the issue of manpower in front.

One of the five Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries is on manpower employment.

According to the report of the state news agency of the Philippines, the Philippines and Qatar have reached an agreement on the prevention of human trafficking, cooperation in the youth and sports sectors.

According to BBC Nepali, the export of manpower has been prioritized in bilateral talks as well as investment in Nepal.

According to the Bangladesh News Agency (BASS), the agreements reached on Tuesday in the presence of the Emir of Qatar and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh are:

Avoidance of double taxation and prevention of revenue evasion in respect of income between Bangladesh and Qatar;

Cooperation in legal matters between the Government of Bangladesh and the State of Qatar,

Sea transport between Qatar and Bangladesh,

Promotion and protection of mutual investment between Bangladesh and Qatar,

and establishment of Bangladesh-Qatar Joint Business Council.

And the MoU sectors signed between the two countries are: Manpower Employment, Ports, Education between Bangladesh and Qatar, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Youth and Sports Cooperation and Diplomatic Training.

However, an international relations analyst in Bangladesh believes that due to Bangladesh’s socio-economic and geographical location, it is important for Qatar to increase its diplomatic and political influence, not just trade.

Jahangirnagar University Professor of International Relations. Sahab Enam Khan told BBC Bangla that Qatar has moved forward with a ‘well-thought-out framework’.

Professor Sahab Enam Khan sees Qatar’s interest in establishing its own position in the competition between China and the United States to maintain its position in South Asia.

At least two agreements have elements that contribute to increasing diplomatic influence, Mr. eat Establishment of a Joint Business Council of. The other is investment promotion and protection.

Bangladesh is one of the Muslim majority countries in the world. According to the Pew Research Center, the country is home to the third largest Muslim population.

“This Muslim identity is very important from the perspective of the Middle East. As Qatar is one of the most influential countries in the Muslim world, Qatar wants to increase its political and diplomatic footprint here,” said Mr. eat

However, two former diplomats say Qatar’s main interests are economic or commercial. Not diplomatic or domineering.

Former Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Towhid Hossain told BBC Bangla, “All the agreements between the two countries are aimed at facilitating trade and commerce.”

“The top-level government visits include business representatives. Their confidence builds, they explore investment opportunities,” he added.

Qatari institutions are familiar with port management. The MoU on Ports has added new potential to the sector.

Moreover, Bangladesh is one of the energy export destinations of the Middle Eastern country. Bangladesh has an LNG import agreement with Qatar for another decade to ensure energy security.

The geopolitical conflict between China and India over Bangladesh is a much-discussed issue.

Moreover, the US has an Indo-Pacific strategy around that region.

Professor Sahab Enam Khan thinks that the geographical importance of Bangladesh has also increased a lot in these contexts.

“Bangladesh is a relatively stable country from Myanmar to Pakistan,” claims this international relations analyst.

According to him, “As Qatar has established itself as an effective negotiator, it is important for them to increase their presence in the region in the reckoning of regional politics.”

They will be able to better involve themselves in any controversial issue here, said Mr. eat

Several Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait trade, invest and donate with Bangladesh.

Professor Sahab Enam Khan sees the difference between the role of Qatar and them.

“Other countries only conduct trade or economic activities, their initiatives are not as comprehensive as Qatar’s,” he said.

However, former ambassador Humayun Kabir told BBC Bengal, “Qatar is getting good business opportunities here. They don’t seem to want to increase influence in any other way.”

“Qatar’s diplomatic activity is mainly focused on the Middle East,” said Mr. Kabir.

He also commented that the country does not see much interest in the “conventional power arrangement” of South Asia, including Bangladesh.

On the website of Amiri Diwan, the government office of Qatar, it is mentioned that priority is being given to various issues related to increasing cooperation and mutual interest.

A year after assuming the Emirate, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani outlined his plans in a speech at Georgetown University in the United States. There, he said, Qatar wants to get out of dependence on gas and oil sales.

“There will come a time when we cannot continue to depend on oil and gas. That is why we are investing in various sectors.”

Former ambassador Humayun Kabir feels that his focus on trade is reflected in his latest visit to three Asian countries.

He sees a focus on manpower, as well as energy, air transport, etc., as part of that focus.

“The Philippines is good as an investment destination,” said former foreign secretary Tauhid Hossain.

Moreover, he also commented that the manpower sent by the country is relatively efficient.

Mr. Hossain said that the rate of migration of laborers from the country to Qatar is very high due to the low cost of migration in Nepal.

The Taliban has an office in Qatar since 2013. Ismail Haniyeh, the top leader of the armed group Hamas, and many others live in the country. Again, the US military base is also located there.

Qatar acts as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. The recent meetings between the two sides are being held there.

Earlier, the US-Taliban meeting was also held in Qatar.

All in all, Qatar continues to demonstrate “extraordinary diplomatic” excellence, says former ambassador Humayun Kabir.

Turkish analyst Esra Cavusoglu wrote in the Turkish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies – Qatar’s major diplomatic success came in 2008, when Qatar mediated an accord between Hezbollah and other groups in Lebanon.

About half of the Americans and Afghan nationals evacuated after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan found refuge in Qatar. Then President Joe Biden praised the country. Currently, Qatar acts as a link to the Western world with the Taliban.