If the group's long term goal is preparing grounds for importing and installing democracy just like the two of its powerful member countries are engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq, please spare us! I believe that Bangladesh should distance itself from the group's current agenda. It is my assessment of the situation that whatever the group is up to it tantamounts to interfering in our internal affairs. I fail to understand as to why the group is so persistent in holding the seminar. It is the prerogative of any sovereign nation to decide as to what is good for her and what seminar may or may not be held on its soil. Turning down permission to the group is therefore within the rights and prerogative of Bangladesh. I therefore see no reason for the group to be either " disappointed" or upset.

The more I think of it something else strikes my mind. The group does not include a single member or members from any other third world countries including Malaysia, Indonesia or Vietnam. Therefore it looks like a group of diplomats from a selected small number of countries, "rich and powerful", of the West wilfully and consciously trying to, perhaps, intimidate us. I wish some of the third world countries could form a similar group and call for an international seminar to discuss how democracy and democratic principles are murdered by some of the leading countries of the West in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Do we need to remind the group about the highly questionable electoral process, which saw the elections in the most powerful country, which took place only a number of years back under serious allegations of fraud? Forgive me for saying so but I am afraid that these highly conscious diplomats are themselves suffering from some of the typical aspects of the third world syndrome of which they are so critical about.

Continued insistence by the group implies to me that there is more to it "than the eye can meet". What is it that the group is looking for or trying to achieve? It may sound rather offbeat to many but democracy today means different things to different peoples in different lands. I am, for one, fully committed to the universally accepted cardinal principles of democracy but shall always resist imposition of the same through any seemingly coercive means directly or indirectly.

On a more sombre note, individually each of the diplomats representing individual countries could have intimated their respective countries' concern to the relevant authorities of the government in a more "diplomatic" way. To my mind that is what would have been appropriate than the present tactics adopted. Although I know that many of my friends would argue that the government should have allowed the seminar to be held; after all what is there for us to hide, besides this would only reflect that creditable aspect of our open door policies and faith in democratic traditions. I am afraid, I do not agree with that argument in this particular instance. One has to draw that fine line of distinction between licence and freedom. This falls into that gray area of granting licence. I believe that much propagated innocent good intentions of the group would come to light for good or for worse shortly before or after the national elections to be held in 2006.

Coming back to the heart of the issue once again I find that the group's move has been highly counterproductive giving rise to a few pertinent questions only.

I believe the whole thing stems from the attitude that they, the members of the group, have invested their expertise and resources in this poor nation for rather an extended period and hence they are entitled to say or do as they so please. With all the humility at my command I wish to point out that we may be poor, we may have failed in many aspects of our governance and state management but our souls are not to be sold.

Shamsher Chowdhury is a freelance writer.