Foreign Policy of Bangladesh

Foreign Relations of Bangladesh

• The foreign relations share the Bangladeshi government's policies in
its external relations with the international community.
• The country pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy
reliance on multinational diplomacy, especially at the United
Nations and World Trade Organization (WTO).
• Since independence in 1971, the country has stressed its principle of
"Friendship towards all, malice towards none" in dictating its
diplomacy.
• As a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Bangladesh has
tended to not take sides with major powers. Since the end of the
Cold War, the country has pursued better relations with regional
neighbors.
• The Bangladesh government has begun to implement a foreign
policy that pursues regional economic integration in South Asia and
aims to establish Bangladesh as a regional hub of transit trade in
Asia.
 Foreign Policy of Bangladesh
• The foreign Policy of Bangladesh consists of self-interest
strategies chosen by the Constitution of the country to
safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its
international relations milieu.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs formulates and executes the
policies according to the guidance from the relevant section of
the Constitution of Bangladesh.
• The fundamental Foreign Policies of Bangladesh originate
from the article no. 25 of the Constitution of Bangladesh:
 Foreign Policy of Bangladesh
• The State shall base its international relations on the principles
of respect for national sovereignty and equality, non-
interference in the internal affairs of other countries, peaceful
settlements of international disputes, and respect for
international law and the principles enunciated in the United
Nations Charter, and on the basis of those principles shall-
– Strive for the renunciation of the use of force in
international relations and for general and complete
disarmament;
– Uphold the right of every people freely to determine and
build up its own social, economic and political system by
ways and means of its own free choice; and
– Support oppressed people throughout the world waging a
just struggle against imperialism, colonialism or racialism.
 Participation in Multilateral Organizations
• United Nations
• Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
• Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
• Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
 Bilateral Relations
• Bangladesh has established official diplomatic relations with most
of the members of United Nations as well as some non-UN members
like Palestine.
• Relations with these nations are largely cordial except for some
bilateral disputes with Pakistan and Myanmar. Issue with India stem
from Teesta and other river water sharing and border killings.
• Bangladesh puts deep emphasis on relations with China and the
United States as China is the largest military supplier to Bangladesh
while United States is one of the largest export markets for
Bangladeshi products.
• In recent years, the relations with Russia also became influential
because of the Russian loan and technical assistance on military
modernization and the first ever nuclear power plant project of
Bangladesh.
• The bilateral relations of Bangladesh are mainly based on trade
activities. However, with certain countries, the relations expand to
other areas such as military co-operation, cultural exchange etc.
 Bangladesh and India
• Generally relations are usually friendly however government
to government contacts are sometimes not too good because of
border disputes and river disputes.
• In 2015 they have exchanged enclaves to help demarcate the
border and have agreed to work together and end any irritants
to ties like smuggling of cows, border killings, and also river
disputes.
• Bangladesh's relationship with India has been a difficult in
terms of irrigation and land border disputes post 1976.
However, Bangladesh has enjoyed favorable relationship with
India during governments formed by the Awami League in
1972 and 1996.
 Bangladesh and India
• At the outset India's relations with Bangladesh was strong
because of India's support for independence in 1971. During
the independence war, many refugees fled to India. India also
intervened militarily and helped bring international attention
to the issue through Indira Gandhi's visit to Washington, D.C.
Afterwards India furnished relief and reconstruction aid.
• India extended recognition to Bangladesh prior to the end of
the war in 1971 (the second country to do so after Bhutan) and
subsequently lobbied others to follow suit.
• India also withdrew its military from the land of Bangladesh
when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman requested Indira Gandhi to do
so during latter's visit to Dhaka in 1972.
 Bangladesh and India
• Indo-Bangladesh relations have been difficult since the fall of Mujib
government in August 1975 over issues such as the Tin Bigha corridor and
access to Nepal, the Farakka Barrage and water sharing, border conflicts
near Tripura and the construction of a fence along most of the border
which India explains as security provision against migrants, insurgents and
terrorists.
• Bilateral relations warmed in 1996, due to a softer Indian foreign policy
and the new Awami League Government. A 30-year water-sharing
agreement for the Ganges River was signed in December 1996, after an
earlier bilateral water-sharing agreement for the Ganges River lapsed in
1988. Both nations also have cooperated on the issue of flood warning and
preparedness.
• The Bangladesh Government and tribal insurgents signed a peace accord in
December 1997, which allowed for the return of tribal refugees who had
fled into India, beginning in 1986, to escape violence caused by an
insurgency in their homeland in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
 Bangladesh and India
• There are also small pieces of land along the border region that Bangladesh
is diplomatically trying to reclaim. Padua, part of Sylhet Division before
1971, has been under Indian control since the war in 1971. This small strip
of land was re-occupied by the BDR in 2001, but later given back to India
after Bangladesh government decided to solve the problem through
diplomatic negotiations.
• In recent years, India has complained that Bangladesh does not secure its
border properly. It fears an increasing flow of illegal Bangladeshi migrants
and accuses Bangladesh of harboring Indian separatist groups like ULFA
and alleged terrorist groups. The Bangladesh government has consistently
denied these accusations.
• India estimates that over 20 million Bangladeshis are living illegally in
India. One Bangladeshi official responded that "there is not a single
Bangladeshi migrant in India".
• Since 2002, India has been constructing an India – Bangladesh Fence
along much of the 4,000-kilometre (2,500 mi) border. The failure to
resolve migration disputes bears a human cost for illegal migrants, such as
imprisonment and health risks.
 Bangladesh and China
• Early relations with the People's Republic of China were cold due to the
rare use of China's veto at the United Nations Security Council to block
Bangladesh's accession to the United Nations. Lately however China has
made efforts to improve relations with many of its neighbors.
• As a part of a strengthened bilateral trade and investment relationship,
China has given Duty-Free (DF) access to 97 percent of Bangladeshi
products which came into force from 1 July 2020.
• According to the notice of the Tariff Commission of the State Council of
China on 16 June 2020, zero-tariff has been applied to 8,256 products
originating from Bangladesh among the total 8,549 products recognized in
the Chinese tariff-line.
• Utilizing this Duty Free (DF) facility, Bangladesh can seize greater market
share as this DF Facility covers Bangladesh-originating 132 knitwear items
and 117 woven items.
 Bangladesh and China
• Bangladesh-China bilateral trade is highly tilted in favor of Beijing, and
Bangladesh's bilateral trade deficit with China has increased 1600% in last
20 years.
• 25% of Bangladesh's total imports are from China, in 2018-19 China's
export to Bangladesh was US$13.6 billion whereas Bangladesh's export to
China was only $0.56 billion.
• China has given several loans to Bangladesh, which compared to India
[with which Bangladesh shares land border on 3 sides] are on less
favorable terms, and could lead Bangladesh into debt-trap.
• China has also offered to construct nuclear power plants in Bangladesh to
help meet the country's growing energy needs, while also seeking to aid the
development of Bangladesh's natural gas resources.
• China mainly imports raw materials from Bangladesh like leather, cotton
textiles, fish, etc. China's major exports to Bangladesh include textiles,
machinery and electronic products, cement, fertilizer, tire, raw silk, maize,
etc.
 Bangladesh and USA
• Bangladesh-United States relations are the bilateral relations
between the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the United
States of America.
• For the United States, Bangladesh is the 38th largest goods
supplier and 60th largest export market. For Bangladesh, the
United States is the largest export market.
• The two countries signed a bilateral investment treaty in 1986.
• U.S. companies are the largest foreign investors in
Bangladesh.
• The U.S. government is the leading contributor of
humanitarian assistance in response to the Rohingya crisis.
 Bangladesh and USA
• The United States is the largest export market for Bangladesh.
The U.S. is also one of the largest sources of foreign direct
investment in Bangladesh.
• The biggest American investment in the country are the
operations of Chevron, which produces 50% of Bangladesh's
natural gas.
• Bilateral trade in 2014 stood at US$6 billion. The main
American exports to Bangladesh are agricultural products
(soybeans, cotton, wheat, dairy), aircraft, machinery, engines,
and iron and steel products.
• American imports from Bangladesh include apparel, footwear,
and textile products; toys, games and sporting goods; shrimp
and prawns; and agricultural products.
 Bangladesh and USA
• In June 2013, following the 2013 Savar building collapse that
led to over 1,000 deaths, the US suspended a preferential trade
agreement with Bangladesh that allowed for duty-free access
to the US market over poor safety standards.
• The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry then issued a statement that
read: "It cannot be more shocking for the factory workers of
Bangladesh that the decision to suspend Generalized System
of Preferences (GSP) comes at a time when the government of
Bangladesh has taken concrete and visible measures to
improve factory safety and protect workers' rights.
 Bangladesh and USA
• However, on the service sector export front, the United States
is the largest export destination for Bangladesh's ICT industry
accounting for 34 percent of Bangladesh's ICT exports.
• Besides, the U.S. is the largest ICT market in the world
representing 33 percent of the total or approximately US$ 1.8
trillion market size in 2022 with more than 0.52 million
software and IT services companies collectively contributing
9.3 percent to the US GDP making them the top ICT export
destination for Bangladesh as the USA has also the highest
ICT spending per-capita.