Foreign relations of Bangladesh
Encyclopedia
The foreign relations of Bangladesh are the Bangladesh
i 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.
Inspired by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
's vision for a Switzerland of the East, the Bangladesh government has begun to translate the ideal into 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.
in 1972 after its establishment as an independent nation in 1971. It has actively participated in the Heads of Government conferences that take place bi-annually.
In recent years, Bangladesh has played a significant role in international peacekeeping
activities. Nearly 10,000 Bangladeshi military personnel are deployed overseas on peacekeeping operations, making it a large contributor to the UN peacekeeping forces. Under UN auspices, Bangladeshi troops have served or are serving in Somalia
, Rwanda
, Mozambique
, Kuwait
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, and Haiti
, and units are currently serving in Kuwait
and East Timor
. Bangladesh responded quickly to U.S. President Bill Clinton
's 1994 request for troops and police for the multinational force for Haiti and provided the largest non-U.S. contingent. As of June 2008, Bangladesh is the second largest provider of UN peacekeepers.
Bangladesh never took any position in line with big powers. However it parted with its principle by voting at the United Nations
against North Korea
, under pressure from Japan, in December 2008.
Following the recognition of Bangladesh by Pakistan in 1974, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
, as an unanticiptable surprise, sent Shah Azizur Rahman
, to lead a Bangladeshi delegation to the international meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) held in Lahore
. Following this participation Bangladesh was admitted as a member of OIC. In 1977, President Humayun Kabir
amended the Constitution of Bangladesh
, including a clause stating that "the state shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity". Since then, an explicit goal of Bangladeshi foreign policy has been to seek close relations with other Islamic states. In 1983, Bangladesh hosted in Dhaka
the foreign ministers meeting of the OIC. At the OIC headquarters at Jeddah
, Bangladesh
is represented in the capacity of one of the Director Generals.
(SAARC) at a summit gathering of South Asian leaders in Dhaka
in December 1985. Bangladesh has served in the chairmanship of SAARC and has participated in a wide range of ongoing SAARC regional activities
, Bangladesh
, India, Indonesia
, Myanmar
, Nepal
, Pakistan, Philippines
, Thailand
and Vietnam
. The area of cooperation is primarily focused on agriculture, regional relations and the development of the region.
(WTO). Bangladesh has a permanent mission in Geneva
to look after matters relating to mulit-lateral trading system under the WTO regime since mid-1990s.
(WCO). Bangladesh has a permanent representative to WCO which has its headquarters in Brussels
.
. The government has participated in numerous international conferences, especially those dealing with population, food, development, and women's issues. In 1982-83, Bangladesh played a constructive role as chairman of the "Group of 77
", an informal association encompassing most of the world's developing nations. It has taken a leading role in the "Group of 48" developing countries. Bangladesh also participates in these international organizations:
ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO
, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO
, IMF
, IMO, Interpol
, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, SACEP, UNCTAD, UNESCO
, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO
, WIPO, WMO, WTO, OPCW.
is more critical and cautious of India.
and Bangladesh goes back before the emergence of their modern political borders sharing historical, cultural and trade relations. They share similar views on international issues such as combating terrorism and increased regional cooperation. A Bangladeshi NGO, BRAC
is a part of the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan particularly in microfinance and in 2007 the Afghan ambassador to Bangladesh, Ahmed Karim Nawabi had stated that Afghanistan is interested in recruiting manpower from Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul was closed in 1989 due to the war. However, during the tenure of the caretaker government, it had been decided that they will re-establish the embassy.
. The relationship between Bhutan and Bangladesh have always been positive since 1971 when the former became the first country to recognise Bangladesh after gaining independence from Pakistan. Bhutan as well as Nepal see Bangladesh as another access to the sea and an opportunity to be less dependent on India and China.
The business community in Bhutan are asking for more investment from Bangladesh after a meeting in the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in Dhaka. Imports from Bhutan during the 07-08 fiscal year, Bhutan's imports were worth $10.8million whereas Bangladesh's exports to Bhutan was only worth $0.78million.
At the outset India's relations with Bangladesh could not have been stronger because of India's unalloyed support for independence and opposition against Pakistan in 1971. During the independence war, many refugees fled to India. When the struggle of resistance matured in November 1971, India also intervened militarily and may have helped bring international attention to the issue through Indira Gandhi
's visit to Washington, D.C.. Afterwards India generously 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.
Indo-Bangladesh relations have been strained since the fall of Mujib government in August 1975. over the years over issues such as South Talpatti Island
, 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. Many Bangladeshis feel India likes to play "big brother" to smaller neighbors, including Bangladesh. 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
. The Bangladesh Army
maintains a very strong presence in the area to this day. The army is increasingly concerned about a growing problem of cultivation of illegal drugs.
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. South Talpatti Island
island (called New Moore by India; the island no longer exists, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8584665.stm), administered under Satkhira district of Bangladesh, is still under Indian military occupation, though the Bangladesh government sent satellite images to the Indian government proving the island to be within Bangladeshi territory.
In recent years India has increasingly complained that Bangladesh does not secure its border properly. It fears an increasing flow of poor Bangladeshis and it 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 2500 mile border. The failure to resolve migration disputes bears a human cost for illegal migrants, such as imprisonment and health risks (namely HIV/Aids).
But recent relations are not without bright spots. In May 2007 they announced that for the first time since the 1965 Indo-Pak War, rail service between Kolkata
and Dhaka
will be restored, a lapse of 42 years. Moreover in October 2007 some cooperation was announced on the border issues mentioned above. These signs of cooperation coincide for the moment at least with a change in Bangladeshi leadership that is expected to last until the end of 2008.
After national election 2008, Awami League formed government in January 2009, and it is expected that, during next five years, relationship with India will improve. At the same time, influence of India is likely to go up during this period.
as a nation dependent on its tourism sector, they have asked Bangladesh to export manpower to the island state. At the 15th SAARC Summit, Maldives and Bangladesh met at the sidelines to discuss the possibility of sending more semi-skilled and skilled workers. There are already 40,000 workers in Maldives mostly in unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.
has good bilateral relations with Bangladesh as they view the latter nation as a great access to the sea giving them the opportunity to develop potential transit and trade facilities and be less dependent on India and China. Nepal recognised Bangladesh on 16 January 1972 and relations further improved after the military coup on August 1975. The turning point for the two nations occurred in April 1976, signing a four-point agreement on technical cooperation, trade, transit and civil aviation. They both seek cooperation in the fields of power generation and development of water resources. In 1986, relations further improved when Bangladesh insisted Nepal should be included on a deal regarding the distribution of water from the Ganges River.
Landmarks in their reconciliation are:
Issues need resolving:
's first King (to be mentioned in the ancient Pali chronicles) was alleged to have ancestors from the Vanga Kingdom
which occupied an area now known as Bangladesh. Bangladesh's Buddhist minority gifted Sri Lanka with a few strands of hair said to have belonged to Buddha
as a sign of goodwill. It is a worshipped object on Poya Day, a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka.
In August 2008, both Heads of States discussed the implementation of new air links in hope of increasing trade, investment and stronger cultural links. Sri Lanka's current investments have been in Bangladesh's garment and banking sector and expect to diversify into different areas. Bangladesh also hosts a number of Sri Lankan medical students and cricket as a form of friendly communications between their people.
There has been discussion to increase bilateral relations, cooperation between the two navies and sending Sri Lankan Naval personal to study in Bangladesh.
and NAM
and share common views on regional and international issues. Brunei recognised Bangladesh quickly with other Southeast Asian countries (Muslim majority nations like Indonesia and Malaysia in particular) and Bangladesh established residential Diplomatic mission in 1985, although they closed it down in 1988 due to financial constraints. In 1997, Bangladesh reopened its embassy, Brunei has a residential embassy located in Dhaka. Brunei actively supports Bangladesh's candidacy for different regional and international organisations. They supported Bangladesh's United Nation Economic and Social Council 2004-06 tenure, UNESCO
Executive Board from 2003–07, Governing Board of the ASEAN Organization of the Supreme Audit Institution (ASOSAI) for the 2004-06 term and membership into the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Both countries are looking to increase trade & investment such as Bangladesh's pharmaceutical products and Brunei
's oil in particular. Brunei also imports manpower from Bangladesh although recently Bangladesh have been asking to take in more manpower especially professionals and to reduce the price of applying to work in Brunei by half (currently it is $1800 per worker from South Asian countries).
Education is another part of their relations such as the Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship for Commonwealth Countries. One Bangladeshi student who wins this scholarship has the opportunity to study at University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Institute Technology Brunei (ITB) to study science based subjects. Students in Brunei have also been able to go to Bangladesh to study at their Medical Colleges and other higher education institutions offering quality education in Asia at a lower cost compared to western nations.
Defence relations is improving although Bangladesh are expecting more trainee officers in the future. Every year Brunei sends its personal for training in Defence Services Command and Staff College and other Military institutions. Defence officers from Bangladesh can also visit Military institutions in Brunei although it is only optional.
Both countries have agreed to increase air links between the two countries which have already signed two agreements in 2004 and 2006 resulting in Bangladesh granting 5th freedom traffic rights with "intermediate" and "beyond" like Singapore and Dubai. With such proposed links it could be possible to not only connect Bangladeshis abroad to travel back home more easily, it can also help attract investors from Brunei for the tourism sector.
Both countries have set up a joint committee primarily to discuss the current bilateral relations and how it can improve although they can discuss international issues with mostly similar views on.
in Phnom Penh. The trade agreement will help in further expanding and strengthening trade relations between the two countries.
Bangladesh's major export items to Cambodia are readymade garment, footwear and leather goods, knitwear, pharmaceuticals, table wear, home linen, textile, seafood and marine products, tea, potato, jute and jute goods, light engineering products, spices, cosmetics, ceramic, melamine products and toiletries.
Major import items from Cambodia are—cotton, edible oil, fertilizer, clinker, staple fiber, yarn and capital machinery.
along with other non-Arab Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Turkey and Afghanistan immediately recognised Bangladesh. Relations have gone into different areas such as trade & investment, cultural exchange and peacekeeping. Both have similar views on international issues as being members of both Developing 8 and OIC. Indonesia have recently signed a deal with a pharmaceutical company called Eskayef Bangladesh Ltd. to export its goods to their country where Bangladesh sees another potential market for its pharmaceutical products.
to recognise Bangladesh and since then the two have seen a rapid growth of cooperation between them. Malaysia offers economic and technical assistance, trade and investment while Bangladesh offers a cheap labour workforce for areas such as construction.
Malaysia is the largest ASEAN investor in Bangladesh and Malaysian companies have invested $1.3 billion in 59 projects in 2007 in areas such as telecommunications, textiles and financial sector. However the trade balance is overwhelmingly in Malaysia's favour, during the 2006-07 fiscal year, exports were a mere $16.9 million compared to $384.16 million in imports. Trading between the two nations are increasing especially in pharmaceutical exports with a number businesses are calling for a Free Trade Agreement to balance out the trade deficit.
Many Malaysian companies have shown keen interest to participate in infrastructure projects here such as power generation, sea port development, waste disposal system, construction of roads and highways as well as in the service sector such as education and healthcare. Malaysia said will continue to contribute positive efforts to promote and expand bilateral relations with Bangladesh, particularly in trade and investment. Pending projects like the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, worth $1.2 billion, power generation, port development etc. would be completed.
Malaysia and Bangladesh recently agreed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding in a tackle against money laundering from Bangladesh to Malaysia. The signatories are the financial intelligence units of the central banks from both nations with one aspect of the deal being that any Bangladeshi comes under suspicion they will gain information from Malaysia freely.
Bangladesh and Malaysia are also members of Developing 8, OIC, the Commonwealth of Nations
, Like Minded Group
and Non-Aligned Movement
show that the two have similar views on regional and international issues.
Issue of labor force administration in Malaysia has somewhat strained the bilateral ties temporarily. In 2007 Malaysia banned imports of Bangladeshi workers into the country after hundreds of them were stranded at an airport because their employers failed to collect them. There were demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur by Bangladeshi workers demanding payments and better conditions. This created a crisis in the bilateral ties but issue has been resolved with the interference of the governments. The government had placed a similar restriction in 1999 but lifted the ban last year by approving an initial intake of 300,000 workers.
are good, despite occasional border strains and an influx of more than 270,000 Muslim refugees (known as "Rohingya") from predominantly Buddhist Burma. As a result of bilateral discussions, and with the cooperation and assistance of the UNHCR, most of the Rohingya refugees have now returned to Burma . As of 2000, about 22,000 refugees remain in camps in southern Bangladesh.
At the 2008 ASEAN Regional forum summit in Singapore
, Bangladesh and Myanmar have pledged to solve their maritime boundary
disputes as quickly as possible especially that a UN deadline in claiming maritime territories will expire in three years time.
Both countries discussed the possibility of linking the two countries together in an attempt to boost their trade and commerce relations. The estimate to complete the 25 km highway is three years and at the cost of $20 million. Another aspect of this plan is to connect the highway to the Asian Superhighway which would connect the two countries to China.
.
in 1979 followed by Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanond in 1983. Other Heads of States like Ershad visited in 1985, 1988 and 1990 and Thaksin Shinawatra
in July and December 2002 and January 2004. Thailand is a key country in Bangladesh's "Look East" policy and relations have begun to increase and diversify into different areas.
They seek not to intervene in each others internal matters as shown by their response to the events occurring in their own respective countries in 2006 such as the 2006 Thai coup d'état and 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis
. Both have considerable cooperation in summits organised by BIMSTEC
and the ASEAN regional forum. Upper class and upper middle class Bangladeshis often go to Thailand for medical treatment and operations that the country's medical infrastructure cannot provide.
's struggle
with the US and strongly opposed the bombing of North Vietnam which was demonstrated by nation-wide movements. Bangladesh was the first South Asian and second Asian nation to establish relations with South Vietnam
at an ambassadorial level. On 11 February 1973, both nations officially established diplomatic relations. In 1982, Vietnam
closed its embassy in Dhaka
for financial reasons and reopened it in January 2003. Bangladesh opened its embassy in Ha Noi in November 1993.
Relations between the nations are good and had been marked with several high level visits such as Khaleda Zia's visit in 2005 and President Tran Duc Luong in 2004. They maintain good cooperation on an international level in organisations such as the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN regional forum. Bangladesh has supported Vietnam as a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council and requested Vietnam to support its participation into ARF, ASEM, EWEC, MGC.
. Common imports from Bangladesh to Japan include leather goods, ready-made garments, and shrimp. By 2004, Japan had become Bangladesh's fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment
, behind the United States, United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Japan's political goals in its relationship with Bangladesh include gaining support for their bid to join
the United Nations
Security Council
, and securing markets for their finished goods. Japan is a significant source of development aid
to Bangladesh.
state and Bangladesh is with the latter's embassy in Beijing
. Relations have only gone as far as recognition and neither nation has ever desired to progress this even further, especially due to the increase in military cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea and North Korea's isolationist policies. In 2006, Bangladesh have used its ties with North Korea, urging them to comply with a UN resolution after North Korea's missile launch during a meeting with then Japanese Foreign Minister, Taro Aso
.
to work in the following sectors:- construction, manufacture, services, and agriculture, fisheries and livestock. Bangladesh and South Korea's Olympic organisations signed an agreement which would benefit Bangladesh's sports development. One aspect is to bring in highly skilled Korean coaches to train Bangladeshi athletes and exchange of sport teams.
South Korea and Bangladesh are also increasing military ties, such as joint military exercises, training of units such as special forces and building a submarine. Bangladesh has already procured a ULSAN class frigate from South Korea.
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. Trade with China reached a record level in 2006 of $3.2 billion under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
(AFTA). The trade balance between the two countries are in China's favour. China has also officially agreed to helping Bangladesh on developing their nuclear power plant. Bangladesh has also signed the Apsco convention with six other nations to form a pact with China on space exploration.
as legitimate nations, so Bangladesh opted to recognise the PRC. However, there is unofficial diplomatic relations with a ROC representative office in Dhaka. Although Bangladesh does not recognise the ROC (therefore illegal to travel there with a Bangladeshi passport), it quietly lifted a ban on flights between Dhaka and Taiwan.
immediately after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
in 1991. As Bangladesh had mutual relations with the Soviet Union, the former intended to increase cooperation after the collapse, especially amongst the new Muslim majority nations. As Bangladesh have begun increasing production of pharmaceutical goods, melamine, garments and jute products other nations have become increasingly interested such as Kyrgyzstan whose Ambassador Orolbaeva Irina Abdyevna have said this could help strengthen bilateral ties. Other areas including education have been mentioned, with a demand of increasing educational exchange. President Iajuddin Ahmed
had said with the increasing standards of higher education especially in engineering, medical, science and technology, he stated Kyrgyz students can benefit studying in Bangladesh's educational facilities. Kyrgyzstan's expertise in hydroelectricity can also help with Bangladesh's growing energy problem.
, Sierra Leone
, Ivory Coast, Sudan
(Darfur
) and Somalia
. Bangladesh can foster ties based on its history such as nations in East Africa where there is a South Asian population (whose ancestors immigrated there during the British Empire
). In countries such as Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been honoured. In Sierra Leone, Bengali have been declared a state language. It is currently trying to increase ties with the southern economic bloc in Southern Africa with nations such as Zimbabwe.
share views on international policies such as the occupation of Palestine and being members of D-8
, OIC and the Like Minded Group
have helped to strengthen relations. Areas which the two countries are involved in are primarily trade, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, science, technology and tourism. There is also a number of Bangladeshi students studying in Egypt and Bangladesh have asked to accept more through its scholarship programme. Egypt also imports semi-skilled and skilled manpower from the South Asian country. However, along with increasing cooperation in education, they also want Egypt to accept more workers.
on January 8, 1975.
Cooperation between the two countries are primarily in international foras such as the UN and the OIC. Both nations have a low-key relations but are generally good due to common grounds of social values and religion. They are now considering to increase trade ties such as importing Bangladesh's pharmaceutical products and Libya
n oil. Bangladesh have asked Libya to ease visa restrictions for Bangladesh nationals and to take in more manpower. Apart from labourers there are also Bangladeshis working in professional occupations increasing people to people links. Bangladesh have also welcomed Libyan students to study engineering and medical degrees at their universities. There has also been discussion to set up a joint committee to increase bilateral trade.
Bangladesh is an accredited mission to Tunisia
and Malta
and uses its embassy in Libya to communicate with those countries.
Due to the brutality and the White Supremacist ideology of the Apartheid regime, relations between South Africa and Bangladesh were non-existent until the collapse of white minority rule and Nelson Mandela
's rise to power. There is a number of Bangladeshis which make up the South Asian community in South Africa and immigration still continues, although it has temporarily halted due to attacks against foreign workers.
Bangladesh exports its raw materials such as leather, finished jute and also garments and textiles. South Africa exports to Bangladesh are iron ore, steel, aluminium, infrastructure projects and machinery and equipment for railways.
have been warm and smooth. Seeing as both nations share a common religion, relations are generally good, but only recently has cooperation began to increase between the two countries. In March 2008, both governments came to an agreement which would primarily allow Bangladesh to export semi-skilled and skilled workers and also the opportunity to allow Bangladeshi firms and companies to expand their operations to Africa's largest country by size which is now enjoying an oil boom regardless of the events occurring in Darfur
since 2007. The relationship between Bangladesh and Sudan thickened as UN Peacekeeping Mission manned by Bangladeshi military started to work in Sudan in 2007.Bangladesh agreed to sending 1,600 of its personal and urgently needed helicopters to join the UN peacekeeping force in Darfur.
As part of the growing relationship, Bangladesh will open a full-fledged Diplomatic mission in Khartoum
. Relations have diverged into different areas such as education where Sudan has offered more scholarships to Bangladeshi students and
recently Sudan has shown interest in importing pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.
has a South Asian community due to the immigration of Indian clerical workers to Africa during the time of the British Empire.
Tanzania has recently decided to import pharmaceutical goods from a Bangladeshi company known as Square Pharma. Tanzania was originally heavily dependent on India and other MNCs for medicines.
, West Pakistan began a domestic and international propaganda campaign about the situation whereas India began its own media campaign in defense of the pro-independence faction. Because India was considered a non-Muslim nation, the majority of conservative Arab nations were in support of Pakistan, although interestingly enough non-Arab Muslim nations such as Indonesia and Turkey sympathised and established relations quickly. In the present, Bangladesh maintains relations to the Middle East through many areas such as commerce, history, military and most importantly religious ties which enabled the two to cooperate more easily then compared to their Western or Far Eastern partners. Bangladesh supplies over 1 million guest workers to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other Gulf countries. In turn most of Bangladesh's oil is imported from this region. Islamic countries and charities provide economic aid usually to advance the Islamic agenda, including funding mosques and madrassas.
During the Yom Kippur War
, Bangladesh supported the Arabs and Palestinians and sent a medical team and relief supply which was appreciated. In return they enabled Bangladesh to become a member of NAM at the Algiers Summit in 1973 and pressured Pakistan into recognising Bangladesh in order to get Mujib to go to the 1974 OIC Summit in Lahore, as he stated that was his only condition.
Bangladesh also took active part in trying to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq during their eight year war as a member of the United Nations Security Council
and participating in the UNIIMOG mission which they became Acting Head of in the last few years before withdrawal. It later helped them to be elected into the OIC Peace Committee.
Bangladesh strongly opposed the Israeli bombardment of South Lebanon which killed approximately 1,191 civilians and described it as "State Terrorism
" and a double standard conflict going into detail that a non-western nation would have been labelled a terrorist and a western nation would have never been deemed a terrorist. They also temporarily contributed to the peacekeeping effort after the 2006 Lebanon War by sending in battalions of infantry. Shortly after they were asked to leave as Bangladesh was not considered neutral by the UN Peacekeeping criteria such as refusing to recognise Israel.
followed the same stance in supporting Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 albeit they did so verbally and had not participated in transferring weapons to West Pakistan. After Bangladesh dispatched diplomats across the Middle East to explain their view of the conflict, Iraq became the first Arab nation to recognise Bangladesh in August 1972. Bangladesh and Iraq has missions located in Baghdad and Dhaka although Iraq closed theirs down after the Iraq War began but has expressed interest in reopening since last year.
Bangladesh and Iraq's ties are primarily based on common faith but there has not been much progression into areas such as trade and investment. Between 1980 and 1986, Iraq sent five officers to study in Bangladesh's military academy in Dhaka. The only notable visit between the two nations was Saddam Hussein
's visit to Bangladesh in 1988. The height of Bangladesh-Iraq relations was during the 1980s due to Bangladesh's role in trying to call for a ceasefire between Iraq and Iran during their war and was a part of UNIIMOG. Relations quickly deteriorated after Iraq invaded Kuwait sparking the Gulf War
and a huge rise in oil prices. Bangladesh responded to the UN resolution demanding Iraq withdraw by the deadline or face military action. Bangladesh's other reasons for participation was because of the Bangladeshi community in Kuwait who some work on oil rigs and Kuwait is Bangladesh's oil supplier. Compared to Iraq's relation to its neighbours and the West, their relations with Bangladesh were considered satisfactory and this was displayed by deploying two engineer battalions rather than infantries to directly engage Iraqi troops.
Relations between Baghdad
and Dhaka
would later improve after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 when Bangladesh declined to send troops to Iraq despite America's persistence and stating that the UN should have had a primary role in solving the matter before the war. Currently they want a complete withdrawal from Iraq and has expressed support for reconstruction efforts. The public in Bangladesh have repeatedly held large demonstrations against the war.
. Another aspect of their relation is their fluctuating and unstable relationship with Pakistan and the concern over India's growing influence in the region.
Immediately after the independence of Bangladesh, many non-Arab nations quickly recognised the new country. However, due to the strong pro-US attitude of the Shah and helping to transport weapons to West Pakistan
during the Bangladesh Liberation War
, relations did not occur until as late as 1979 after the Iranian Revolution
which was greeted with unanimous support from Bangladeshis. Due to Ziaur Rahman's amendment in the constitution declaring to consolidate relations with Islamic states, relations have been progressive since and it has diverse into areas such as trade, investment and culture. A turning point in relations was during the Iraq-Iran War when Bangladesh as a UN Security Council member tried to broker a ceasefire between the nations and settle their disputes with dialogue. Eventually, Bangladesh would participate in UNIIMOG mission to observe that agreements such as a ceasefire had been honoured.
In 1995, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
became the first President of Iran to visit Bangladesh. The current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is looking to strengthen relations with countries in South Asia such as Bangladesh by increasing Iranian investment like building oil refineries. In return, Bangladesh supports Iran to have full membership in the SAARC and its controversial nuclear program saying it is for "peaceful purposes". In 2006, both countries signed a preferential trade accord which removes non-tariff barriers, hoping to take it further to a free trade agreement and in 2007, Bangladesh has requested Iranian assistance on building its nuclear power plant.
Both countries are members of Developing 8 Countries
, OIC, Like Minded Group
and SAARC (although Iran has observer status). They have generally similar views on world issues especially on the occupation of Palestine.
. It has taken a similar stance to that of its fellow Muslim nations in calling for an end to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories
and for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Bangladesh is also the only nation to have a complete ban on trade (indirect and direct) with Israel even though both are members of the WTO. As Bangladesh does not have any diplomatic relations with Israel, it is not permitted for Bangladeshis to travel to Israel using a Bangladesh passport
, which brought about the arrest of journalist Salah Choudhury
.
In the immediate aftermath of 2006 Lebanon War Bangladesh offered to send battalions of its infantrymen to help with the UN peacekeeping force, however Israel rejected it stating Bangladesh does not recognise Israel. Although Israel rejected the country's participation, Bangladesh and Nepal
were the first countries whose troops reached the shores of South Lebanon whereas Western nations such as the original leader and top contributor, France
, delayed their deployment. Immediately after other UN peacekeepers arrived, Bangladeshi forces had to leave immediately, as they were considered not to be neutral in the conflict based on the fact of Bangladesh refusing to recognise Israel and a comment made by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Morshed Khan
who described Israel's retaliation as "state terrorism
".
when Bangladesh sent a contingent of 2,300 personnel to monitor peace in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
and a contributor to UNIKOM with a mechanised infantry battalion. Bangladesh sends guests workers to Kuwait to enable its citizens to work in higher paying jobs leading to remittances as well as a Bangladeshi community in the country. Relations between the two countries have even indulged into military ties since the 1980s and a deal signed on February 1, 2004 under which Bangladesh Armed Forces are to provide technical and vocational training to the Kuwaiti army for the next six years. Currently 4,000 Bangladeshi personnel are operating in Kuwait.
Relations have been strained due to the mistreatment of Bangladeshi workers such as harsh working conditions, low wages (or not being paid for weeks or even months) and several human rights breaches such as chaining or brutally beating workers. There has been calls from the KSDD to replace the "sponsorship system" with the ones used in western nations to avoid restrictions of freedom on foreign workers, who the head of the organisation described as a form of slavery.
during the 2006 Lebanon War and offered to contribute approximately 2,000 troops to the peacekeeping force. However, after establishing UN mission on the ground they were asked to leave for not meeting the UN criteria of neutrality such as the non-existent relations with Israel.
Bangladesh like other South Asian countries also send workers to Lebanon to work in domestic and manual jobs, although many like those in the Gulf states complain of harsh conditions and low wages. During the 2006 Lebanon War, some of the Bangladeshis returned home but some went unpaid as their employers escaped the conflict by travelling abroad.
are considered to be warm and cordial as Bangladesh advocates for an independent Palestinian state and an end to Israeli occupation. Bangladesh is one of the 93 countries to recognise Palestine as a state since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence
on November 15, 1988. The first high-level meeting between the two was in 1974 at the second OIC summit in Lahore, Pakistan between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and Yasser Arafat
. Since then there have been high level contact such as Yasser Arafat's visits in 1981 and 1987 who was warmly received by both former presidents Ziaur Rahman
and Hossain Mohammad Ershad
with favourable media coverage. Later when democracy returned to Bangladesh, Arafat was also received warmly by Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. There is a wide public support for an independent Palestine as the Government had reported in 1987 that 8,000 had volunteered for the PLO although there had never been any official moves to send weapons or personnel. However, it has been reported that some Bangladeshis have travelled to Lebanon to join Palestinian battles against Israel. Since the 1980s, under IMET (International Military Education and Training) there have been development of military ties between the PLO and Bangladesh with the former attending one year courses at the Bangladesh Military Academy near Chittagong
. Palestine are represented in Bangladesh by the Embassy of the State of Palestine that has been established in Dhaka. Bangladesh also provided material help to establish the diplomatic mission.
and Dhaka
where somewhat dormant owing to the
former capital's country's close bond with Bangladesh's historical oppressor, Pakistan. From mid-1970s onward Bangladesh was seeking closer ties with oil rich Arab states such as Saudi Arabia
. After the 1982 coup by Ershad, he visited Riyadh to meet with the King. Nine months later a ten member delegation of the Saudi military arrived in Bangladesh to discuss possible military ties and inspect its facilities. There was a rumour persisting amongst the press that the Saudis were considering to station a division of the Bangladesh army in the Kingdom (15,000 personnel). It was reported as a proposal by Ziaur Rahman although both governments deny this, the rumour continued into Ershad's rule. Since 1981, Saudi Arabia has sent 77 officers to the Defense Services Command & Staff College in Dhaka, which is the college's largest number of overseas graduates from a single nation.
Bangladesh is seeking to increase economic ties with Saudi Arabia in order to reduce the trade deficit currently in the Kingdom's favour. One of their proposals is to export ceramics, leather and pharmaceutical products to the Kingdom as they are already doing with the western nations.
and its member states remained a priority area in the foreign policy context. A number of achievements were made in the economic field during that brief period. At present EU is the top export destination of Bangladesh's products (48% of the total product). International Jute Study Group is being established in Dhaka. Bangladesh successfully participated in World Apparel Fair, European Seafood Exposition, Bangladesh Trade Show in Moscow and Kiev.
After establishment of diplomatic relations, the bilateral relations between the two countries began to grow steadily. Between the start of development cooperation in 1972 and the end of 2005, Bangladesh received approximately € 2.3 billion in commitments from Germany as part of bilateral financial and technical cooperation, in addition of the funds provided by the German churches and NGOs. At an intergovernmental negotiation in 2005, Bangladesh received € 14 million in new commitments from Germany. Since 1978, all German funds provided as part of government level cooperation have been in the form of non-repayable grants.
Bangladesh is a priority partner country of German Development Cooperation (GTZ). By an agreement between both the government adopted in May 2004, the activities of the GTZ focus on three priority areas such as healthcare including family planning, economic reform and development of the market system through promotion of private sector, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and renewable energies. Among the other ongoing projects the promotion of legal and social empowerment of women in Bangladesh is also to be mentioned. The sustainable economic development programme of GTZ in Bangladesh contributes to the competitiveness of the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, as well as other export-oriented sectors like silk, leather and jute.
In trade with Germany, Bangladesh has for years recorded a large surplus. Germany is the second largest export market of Bangladesh after the US. Bangladesh exports in Germany in 2006 amounted to € 1.56 billion as compared with Bangladesh imports in the same period of only € 305 million. About 94% of the exports from Bangladesh to Germany are RMGs and Bangladesh imports mainly comprising machinery, chemical and electrical goods, and medicines. A German-Bangladeshi investment promotion and protection agreement has been in force since 1986 and a bilateral double taxation accord since 1993. So far German direct investments in Bangladesh are almost € 60 million. The Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) acts as a business platform and mediator between both the countries.
The cultural relationship of both the countries is very strong. The cultural cooperation between them is mainly channeled through the Goethe Institute that work on developing the cultural ties between both the countries by sponsoring local and German cultural activities. Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany. There is a century-old exchange between German and Bengali people. German interest in the culture of Bengal dates back to the visits to Germany by the Bengali national poet and Nobel laureate for literature Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s and 1930s. Many Bangladeshi intellectuals take a keen and informed interest in German literature, art, architecture and philosophy. In Bangladesh Goethe Institute is the main meeting place for all those interested in Germany.
Goethe-Institute Dhaka with headquarters in Munich offers a broad variety of cultural events to present the German culture in Bangladesh through its main activities by film-workshops, film-presentations, seminars and lectures on socio-political subjects as well as on aspects on contemporary arts, theatre performances, and exhibitions of German and Bangladeshi artists.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany, and both the countries enjoy closest ties. There are increasing contracts amongst German and Bangladeshi artists, primarily in the fine arts, photography/film and theatre. Bangladeshi artists have been able to exhibit in German galleries and museums. A number of visual artists from Bangladesh have also made Germany their new home. Germany continues to promote the restoration of historical monuments, archaeological research and the unique legacy of the Bengali catamarans. Since 1981, a cooperation agreement has been in place between Radio Bangladesh and Deutsche Welle (DW).
The bilateral commercial and trade interests of both the countries are continuing, although there is considerable scope for greater engagement. Bilateral relations got some momentum by several high level visits, contracts, and political and economic dialogue. In December 2000, the then head of the government of Bangladesh officially visited Germany. In February 2004, a German nine-member parliamentary delegation also visited Bangladesh.
Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various international issues and work together in the UN and in other international forum. They have maintained and developed close and friendly relations in a wide range of field. The two countries are harmonized together by their commitment to various sectors mutually agreed upon, which is expected to be strengthened further in future.
living in the country. Relations are good and some Bangladeshis travel to Vatican City
especially on special occasions such as the inauguration of the new Pope. The Holy See
has an Apostolic Nunciature (equivalent to an embassy) located in Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka.
cause and offered their assistance in the conflict. Although the start of their relations were very favourable, Bangladesh and Russia's relations have fluctuated greatly from extremely warm during the early 1970s to an all time low during the 1980s (attributed to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). After the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Bangladesh established ties with all the former Soviet Republics including Russia and began diversifying into other areas such as education, cultural, military and energy.
during a UN vote on the matter. On the issue of Cyprus, Bangladesh at multilateral organisations such as the UN, use this as an opportunity to defend the rights of the Turkish minority. They also supported the creation of the Developing 8 Countries
with six other nations with large Muslim populations.
. During the Bangladesh Liberation War
Britain offered shelter to diplomats and people who escaped the conflict. The government, politicians and the media were also critical of the atrocities and shown empathy for the Mukti Bahini
. On February 4, 1972 Britain recognised Bangladesh, this eventually led to recognition from other European and Commonwealth nations and Bangladesh's induction into the Commonwealth on April 18, 1972. Britain holds the largest Bangladeshi diaspora
in the western world, now numbered at around 500,000, most of them can trace their ties to the region of Sylhet. Britain also holds the largest open air Asian festival in Europe called Baishakhi Mela
, a Bangladeshi event held in London.
There has been numerous delegation visits since Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home visited Bangladesh in June 1972. The first visit by a prime minister was James Callaghan
in 1978. Other prime ministers who had visited Bangladesh are John Major
in a 3-day visit between 10–12 January 1997 and Tony Blair
in 2002. Presidents and Prime Ministers of Bangladesh such as Sheikh Mujib, Ziaur Rahman and Fakhruddin Ahmed have visited the UK.
In March 2008, Fakhruddin Ahmed had visited Number 10 to discuss increasing British investment and cooperation in defence and trade, especially on counter-terrorism and duty-free access for LDCs. Britain is the largest foreign investor in Bangladesh and the third biggest export destination for Bangladeshi goods after USA and Germany.
At the 7th ISS Asia Security Summit (also known as Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore, Bangladesh's Foreign advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury met with UK's Defence Minister Des Browne at the sidelines to discuss security and defense relations between the two countries. Browne says he hoped that Bangladesh's modernising values can reach the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK.
and Abkhazia
. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
has replied that Bangladesh will consider its national interests and decide what course of action they will take.
While hosting the NAM summit on July 2, 2008, Bangladesh and Venezuela agreed to strengthen diplomatic ties. Congressman Monga and Montiel had met with Bangladesh's Minister of Information Jamil Osman discussing media access for third world nations and receive advice in setting up a news station. Osman also requested the incorporation of news produced in Bangladesh in Telesur, Venezuelan TV station.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i government's policies in its external relations with the international community. The country pursues a moderate foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, especially at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(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
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
, 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.
Inspired by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
's vision for a Switzerland of the East, the Bangladesh government has begun to translate the ideal into 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.
Commonwealth
Bangladesh, which was part of British India until 1947, joined the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
in 1972 after its establishment as an independent nation in 1971. It has actively participated in the Heads of Government conferences that take place bi-annually.
United Nations
Bangladesh was admitted to the United Nations in 1974 and was elected to a Security Council term in 1978-1980 and again for a 2000-2002 term. Foreign Minister Choudhury served as president of the 41st UN General Assembly in 1986.In recent years, Bangladesh has played a significant role in international peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
activities. Nearly 10,000 Bangladeshi military personnel are deployed overseas on peacekeeping operations, making it a large contributor to the UN peacekeeping forces. Under UN auspices, Bangladeshi troops have served or are serving in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and units are currently serving in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Bangladesh responded quickly to U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's 1994 request for troops and police for the multinational force for Haiti and provided the largest non-U.S. contingent. As of June 2008, Bangladesh is the second largest provider of UN peacekeepers.
Non-Aligned Movement
Bangladesh was selected to become the next chairman of NAM at the summit scheduled for Dhaka 2001, however it was later decided to host the summit at an alternative venue. As a member of the Non-aligned MovementNon-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
Bangladesh never took any position in line with big powers. However it parted with its principle by voting at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
against North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, under pressure from Japan, in December 2008.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
See also OIC role in Pakistan-Bangladesh relationshipFollowing the recognition of Bangladesh by Pakistan in 1974, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
, as an unanticiptable surprise, sent Shah Azizur Rahman
Shah Azizur Rahman
Shah Azizur Rahman was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. However, he was the subject of considerable controversy for his collaboration with the Pakistan Army against the struggle to establish Bangladesh....
, to lead a Bangladeshi delegation to the international meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) held in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Following this participation Bangladesh was admitted as a member of OIC. In 1977, President Humayun Kabir
Humayun Kabir
Humayun Zahiruddin Amir-i Kabir or Humayun Kabir was an Indian educationist, politician, writer and philosopher.-Ancestry and early life:...
amended the Constitution of Bangladesh
Constitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
, including a clause stating that "the state shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity". Since then, an explicit goal of Bangladeshi foreign policy has been to seek close relations with other Islamic states. In 1983, Bangladesh hosted in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
the foreign ministers meeting of the OIC. At the OIC headquarters at Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
is represented in the capacity of one of the Director Generals.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
The government also pursued the expansion of cooperation among the nations of South Asia, bringing the process—an initiative of former President Ziaur Rahman—through its earliest, most tentative stages to the formal inauguration of the South Asian Association for Regional CooperationSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an organisation of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh,...
(SAARC) at a summit gathering of South Asian leaders in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in December 1985. Bangladesh has served in the chairmanship of SAARC and has participated in a wide range of ongoing SAARC regional activities
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific
An intergovernmental and autonomous organisation, the organisation consists of ten members:- AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, India, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Pakistan, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The area of cooperation is primarily focused on agriculture, regional relations and the development of the region.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
An international organisation which includes South Asian and Southeast Asian nations. The member nations of this group are: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The organisation focuses on regional economy, regional development and trade & investment.Developing 8 Countries
Bangladesh along with the seven other nations are all original members and no plans for expansions have been made. The Developing 8 is an economic development alliance consisting of Muslim majority states which focuses in multiple areas which are rural development, science and technology, banking, agriculture, humanitarian development, energy, environment, health and finance. On May 14, 2006 in Bali, Indonesia Bangladesh was the only nation not to sign a preferential trade agreement.Asia Pacific Trade Agreement
In 2005, Bangladesh signed the APTA agreement which would enable it to reduce trade gaps between itself and other nations such as China, South Korea and its neighbour India. Another aspect of the agreement is to be given duty free access to its products.World Trade Organization
Bangladesh is an active member of the World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO). Bangladesh has a permanent mission in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to look after matters relating to mulit-lateral trading system under the WTO regime since mid-1990s.
World Customs Organization
Bangladesh is an active member of the World Customs OrganizationWorld Customs Organization
The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...
(WCO). Bangladesh has a permanent representative to WCO which has its headquarters in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Like Minded Group
Bangladesh have formed an alliance with nineteen other developing countries to vote as a bloc in organisations such as the WTO and the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Other
Bangladesh is currently chairman of the Developing 8 CountriesDeveloping 8 Countries
The Developing 8 are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.-History:The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish Prime...
. The government has participated in numerous international conferences, especially those dealing with population, food, development, and women's issues. In 1982-83, Bangladesh played a constructive role as chairman of the "Group of 77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
", an informal association encompassing most of the world's developing nations. It has taken a leading role in the "Group of 48" developing countries. Bangladesh also participates in these international organizations:
ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO
Fão
Fão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....
, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
, IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, IMO, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, SACEP, UNCTAD, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
, WIPO, WMO, WTO, OPCW.
Bilateral relations
Since Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India via a land border which stretches 2400 kilometres (1,491.3 mi), its relations with India are vital for economic reasons. The two largest parties of Bangladesh also have varying attitudes to India, which also explains for the fluctuations in relations between the two countries. The Awami League for example, tends to be more friendly with India whereas the Bangladesh Nationalist PartyBangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
is more critical and cautious of India.
South Asia
Other countries in South Asia. Bangladesh maintains friendly relations with Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and strongly opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Bangladesh and Nepal recently agreed to facilitate land transit between the two countries.Islamic State of Afghanistan
Ties between AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Bangladesh goes back before the emergence of their modern political borders sharing historical, cultural and trade relations. They share similar views on international issues such as combating terrorism and increased regional cooperation. A Bangladeshi NGO, BRAC
BRAC (NGO)
BRAC, based in Bangladesh, is the world's largest non-governmental development organization. Established by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972 soon after the independence of Bangladesh, BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh, with over 7 million microfinance group members, 37,500 non-formal...
is a part of the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan particularly in microfinance and in 2007 the Afghan ambassador to Bangladesh, Ahmed Karim Nawabi had stated that Afghanistan is interested in recruiting manpower from Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul was closed in 1989 due to the war. However, during the tenure of the caretaker government, it had been decided that they will re-establish the embassy.
Kingdom of Bhutan
Along with India, Bangladesh is one of the only two nations to have a residential embassy in BhutanBhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The relationship between Bhutan and Bangladesh have always been positive since 1971 when the former became the first country to recognise Bangladesh after gaining independence from Pakistan. Bhutan as well as Nepal see Bangladesh as another access to the sea and an opportunity to be less dependent on India and China.
The business community in Bhutan are asking for more investment from Bangladesh after a meeting in the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in Dhaka. Imports from Bhutan during the 07-08 fiscal year, Bhutan's imports were worth $10.8million whereas Bangladesh's exports to Bhutan was only worth $0.78million.
Republic of India
Bangladesh's relationship with India has been a difficult one for most of the time since establishment of Bangladesh in 1971. However, Bangladesh enjoyed favourable relationship with India during governments formed by Awami League in 1972 and 1996.At the outset India's relations with Bangladesh could not have been stronger because of India's unalloyed support for independence and opposition against Pakistan in 1971. During the independence war, many refugees fled to India. When the struggle of resistance matured in November 1971, India also intervened militarily and may have helped bring international attention to the issue through Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's visit to Washington, D.C.. Afterwards India generously 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
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
) and subsequently lobbied others to follow suit. India also withdrew its military from the land of Bangladesh when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman requested Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
to do so during latter's visit to Dhaka in 1972.
Indo-Bangladesh relations have been strained since the fall of Mujib government in August 1975. over the years over issues such as South Talpatti Island
South Talpatti Island
New Moore or South Talpatti/Sheikh Mujib Island was a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta region...
, the Tin Bigha corridor and access to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, the Farakka Barrage
Farakka Barrage
Farakka Barrage is a barrage across the Ganges River, located in the Indian state of West Bengal, roughly from the border with Bangladesh near Chapai Nawabganj District. Construction was started in 1961 and completed in 1975. Operations began on April 21, 1975. The barrage is about long...
and water sharing, border conflicts near Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
and the construction of a fence along most of the border which India explains as security provision against migrants, insurgents and terrorists. Many Bangladeshis feel India likes to play "big brother" to smaller neighbors, including Bangladesh. 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
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
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
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...
. The Bangladesh Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
maintains a very strong presence in the area to this day. The army is increasingly concerned about a growing problem of cultivation of illegal drugs.
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. South Talpatti Island
South Talpatti Island
New Moore or South Talpatti/Sheikh Mujib Island was a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta region...
island (called New Moore by India; the island no longer exists, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8584665.stm), administered under Satkhira district of Bangladesh, is still under Indian military occupation, though the Bangladesh government sent satellite images to the Indian government proving the island to be within Bangladeshi territory.
In recent years India has increasingly complained that Bangladesh does not secure its border properly. It fears an increasing flow of poor Bangladeshis and it 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 2500 mile border. The failure to resolve migration disputes bears a human cost for illegal migrants, such as imprisonment and health risks (namely HIV/Aids).
But recent relations are not without bright spots. In May 2007 they announced that for the first time since the 1965 Indo-Pak War, rail service between Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
will be restored, a lapse of 42 years. Moreover in October 2007 some cooperation was announced on the border issues mentioned above. These signs of cooperation coincide for the moment at least with a change in Bangladeshi leadership that is expected to last until the end of 2008.
After national election 2008, Awami League formed government in January 2009, and it is expected that, during next five years, relationship with India will improve. At the same time, influence of India is likely to go up during this period.
Republic of Maldives
MaldivesMaldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
as a nation dependent on its tourism sector, they have asked Bangladesh to export manpower to the island state. At the 15th SAARC Summit, Maldives and Bangladesh met at the sidelines to discuss the possibility of sending more semi-skilled and skilled workers. There are already 40,000 workers in Maldives mostly in unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
has good bilateral relations with Bangladesh as they view the latter nation as a great access to the sea giving them the opportunity to develop potential transit and trade facilities and be less dependent on India and China. Nepal recognised Bangladesh on 16 January 1972 and relations further improved after the military coup on August 1975. The turning point for the two nations occurred in April 1976, signing a four-point agreement on technical cooperation, trade, transit and civil aviation. They both seek cooperation in the fields of power generation and development of water resources. In 1986, relations further improved when Bangladesh insisted Nepal should be included on a deal regarding the distribution of water from the Ganges River.
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
The Bangladesh-Pakistan relationship is yet to be at a level that may be called warm. However since full diplomatic relations were implemented in January 1976, it has shown improvement in bilateral relations concerning commerce, culture and trade and making reconciliatory agreements.Landmarks in their reconciliation are:
- An August 1973 agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan on the repatriation of numerous individuals, including 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war stranded in Bangladesh as a result of the 1971 conflict;
- A February 1974 accord by Bangladesh and Pakistan on mutual diplomatic recognition, followed more than 2 years later by establishment of formal diplomatic relations on January 18, 1976
- The organization by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of an airlift that moved almost 250,000 Bengalis from Pakistan to Bangladesh, and non-Bengalis from Bangladesh to Pakistan; and
- Exchanges of high-level visits, including a visit by Prime Minister Benazir BhuttoBenazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
to Bangladesh in 1989 and visits by Prime Minister Khaleda ZiaKhaleda ZiaBegum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until...
to Pakistan in 1992 and in 1995.
Issues need resolving:
- Division of assets from the pre-1971 period
- Repatriation of 250,000 ethnic Biharis known as "Stranded Pakistanis"
- Possibly the most important and most sensitive issue is the Question of Pakistan's apology for the genocide in 1971 which has led to the breakdown of numerous talks between the two.
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Relations are historically tied together even beyond the sub-continent's colonisation by the British. Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
's first King (to be mentioned in the ancient Pali chronicles) was alleged to have ancestors from the Vanga Kingdom
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
which occupied an area now known as Bangladesh. Bangladesh's Buddhist minority gifted Sri Lanka with a few strands of hair said to have belonged to Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
as a sign of goodwill. It is a worshipped object on Poya Day, a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka.
In August 2008, both Heads of States discussed the implementation of new air links in hope of increasing trade, investment and stronger cultural links. Sri Lanka's current investments have been in Bangladesh's garment and banking sector and expect to diversify into different areas. Bangladesh also hosts a number of Sri Lankan medical students and cricket as a form of friendly communications between their people.
There has been discussion to increase bilateral relations, cooperation between the two navies and sending Sri Lankan Naval personal to study in Bangladesh.
State of Brunei
They are both members of OIC, the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and NAM
Nam
Nam or NAM may refer to:* Namibia* New Age Movement* Arabic for yesVietnam-related* Vietnam* Vietnam War* The 'Nam, a historical fiction series* NAM , a 1998 first person shooter game for PCInitialisms...
and share common views on regional and international issues. Brunei recognised Bangladesh quickly with other Southeast Asian countries (Muslim majority nations like Indonesia and Malaysia in particular) and Bangladesh established residential Diplomatic mission in 1985, although they closed it down in 1988 due to financial constraints. In 1997, Bangladesh reopened its embassy, Brunei has a residential embassy located in Dhaka. Brunei actively supports Bangladesh's candidacy for different regional and international organisations. They supported Bangladesh's United Nation Economic and Social Council 2004-06 tenure, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Executive Board from 2003–07, Governing Board of the ASEAN Organization of the Supreme Audit Institution (ASOSAI) for the 2004-06 term and membership into the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Both countries are looking to increase trade & investment such as Bangladesh's pharmaceutical products and Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
's oil in particular. Brunei also imports manpower from Bangladesh although recently Bangladesh have been asking to take in more manpower especially professionals and to reduce the price of applying to work in Brunei by half (currently it is $1800 per worker from South Asian countries).
Education is another part of their relations such as the Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship for Commonwealth Countries. One Bangladeshi student who wins this scholarship has the opportunity to study at University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Institute Technology Brunei (ITB) to study science based subjects. Students in Brunei have also been able to go to Bangladesh to study at their Medical Colleges and other higher education institutions offering quality education in Asia at a lower cost compared to western nations.
Defence relations is improving although Bangladesh are expecting more trainee officers in the future. Every year Brunei sends its personal for training in Defence Services Command and Staff College and other Military institutions. Defence officers from Bangladesh can also visit Military institutions in Brunei although it is only optional.
Both countries have agreed to increase air links between the two countries which have already signed two agreements in 2004 and 2006 resulting in Bangladesh granting 5th freedom traffic rights with "intermediate" and "beyond" like Singapore and Dubai. With such proposed links it could be possible to not only connect Bangladeshis abroad to travel back home more easily, it can also help attract investors from Brunei for the tourism sector.
Both countries have set up a joint committee primarily to discuss the current bilateral relations and how it can improve although they can discuss international issues with mostly similar views on.
Kingdom of Cambodia
Bangladesh signed trade agreement on August 4, 2006 with CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in Phnom Penh. The trade agreement will help in further expanding and strengthening trade relations between the two countries.
Bangladesh's major export items to Cambodia are readymade garment, footwear and leather goods, knitwear, pharmaceuticals, table wear, home linen, textile, seafood and marine products, tea, potato, jute and jute goods, light engineering products, spices, cosmetics, ceramic, melamine products and toiletries.
Major import items from Cambodia are—cotton, edible oil, fertilizer, clinker, staple fiber, yarn and capital machinery.
Republic of Indonesia
IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
along with other non-Arab Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Turkey and Afghanistan immediately recognised Bangladesh. Relations have gone into different areas such as trade & investment, cultural exchange and peacekeeping. Both have similar views on international issues as being members of both Developing 8 and OIC. Indonesia have recently signed a deal with a pharmaceutical company called Eskayef Bangladesh Ltd. to export its goods to their country where Bangladesh sees another potential market for its pharmaceutical products.
Malaysia
Malaysia was one of the first Muslim states along with IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
to recognise Bangladesh and since then the two have seen a rapid growth of cooperation between them. Malaysia offers economic and technical assistance, trade and investment while Bangladesh offers a cheap labour workforce for areas such as construction.
Malaysia is the largest ASEAN investor in Bangladesh and Malaysian companies have invested $1.3 billion in 59 projects in 2007 in areas such as telecommunications, textiles and financial sector. However the trade balance is overwhelmingly in Malaysia's favour, during the 2006-07 fiscal year, exports were a mere $16.9 million compared to $384.16 million in imports. Trading between the two nations are increasing especially in pharmaceutical exports with a number businesses are calling for a Free Trade Agreement to balance out the trade deficit.
Many Malaysian companies have shown keen interest to participate in infrastructure projects here such as power generation, sea port development, waste disposal system, construction of roads and highways as well as in the service sector such as education and healthcare. Malaysia said will continue to contribute positive efforts to promote and expand bilateral relations with Bangladesh, particularly in trade and investment. Pending projects like the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, worth $1.2 billion, power generation, port development etc. would be completed.
Malaysia and Bangladesh recently agreed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding in a tackle against money laundering from Bangladesh to Malaysia. The signatories are the financial intelligence units of the central banks from both nations with one aspect of the deal being that any Bangladeshi comes under suspicion they will gain information from Malaysia freely.
Bangladesh and Malaysia are also members of Developing 8, OIC, the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, Like Minded Group
Like Minded Group
The Like Minded Group is a group of developing countries who organise themselves as block voters in international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization....
and Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
show that the two have similar views on regional and international issues.
Issue of labor force administration in Malaysia has somewhat strained the bilateral ties temporarily. In 2007 Malaysia banned imports of Bangladeshi workers into the country after hundreds of them were stranded at an airport because their employers failed to collect them. There were demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur by Bangladeshi workers demanding payments and better conditions. This created a crisis in the bilateral ties but issue has been resolved with the interference of the governments. The government had placed a similar restriction in 1999 but lifted the ban last year by approving an initial intake of 300,000 workers.
Union of Myanmar
Bilateral ties with MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
are good, despite occasional border strains and an influx of more than 270,000 Muslim refugees (known as "Rohingya") from predominantly Buddhist Burma. As a result of bilateral discussions, and with the cooperation and assistance of the UNHCR, most of the Rohingya refugees have now returned to Burma . As of 2000, about 22,000 refugees remain in camps in southern Bangladesh.
At the 2008 ASEAN Regional forum summit in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Bangladesh and Myanmar have pledged to solve their maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
disputes as quickly as possible especially that a UN deadline in claiming maritime territories will expire in three years time.
Both countries discussed the possibility of linking the two countries together in an attempt to boost their trade and commerce relations. The estimate to complete the 25 km highway is three years and at the cost of $20 million. Another aspect of this plan is to connect the highway to the Asian Superhighway which would connect the two countries to China.
Republic of Singapore
The two nations are founders of the Asian Union. A sizable number of Bangladeshi migrant workers are currently working in labor-intensive jobs in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Kingdom of Thailand
Relations are considered close and cordial and have made strides to improve trade and investment between the two countries. Diplomatic relations were established on October 5, 1972 and Thailand opened its embassy in 1974 followed by Bangladesh setting up their own in Bangkok in the following year. The first visit between the two countries was President Ziaur Rahman's visit to ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in 1979 followed by Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanond in 1983. Other Heads of States like Ershad visited in 1985, 1988 and 1990 and Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
in July and December 2002 and January 2004. Thailand is a key country in Bangladesh's "Look East" policy and relations have begun to increase and diversify into different areas.
They seek not to intervene in each others internal matters as shown by their response to the events occurring in their own respective countries in 2006 such as the 2006 Thai coup d'état and 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis
2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis
The 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis began in October 2006 when a caretaker government — designated by the constitution to oversee the vote — assumed power without exhausting the provisions of selection of Chief of Caretaker government at the end of October. Its purpose was to steer the...
. Both have considerable cooperation in summits organised by BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia...
and the ASEAN regional forum. Upper class and upper middle class Bangladeshis often go to Thailand for medical treatment and operations that the country's medical infrastructure cannot provide.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
After Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, it had strongly supported North VietnamNorth Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
's struggle
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
with the US and strongly opposed the bombing of North Vietnam which was demonstrated by nation-wide movements. Bangladesh was the first South Asian and second Asian nation to establish relations with South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
at an ambassadorial level. On 11 February 1973, both nations officially established diplomatic relations. In 1982, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
closed its embassy in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
for financial reasons and reopened it in January 2003. Bangladesh opened its embassy in Ha Noi in November 1993.
Relations between the nations are good and had been marked with several high level visits such as Khaleda Zia's visit in 2005 and President Tran Duc Luong in 2004. They maintain good cooperation on an international level in organisations such as the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN regional forum. Bangladesh has supported Vietnam as a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council and requested Vietnam to support its participation into ARF, ASEM, EWEC, MGC.
Japan
Bangladeshi-Japanese relations were established in February 1972. Japan is Bangladesh's 11th-largest export market; imports from Bangladesh make up 26% of all Japanese imports from the least developed countries, second only to those from CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Common imports from Bangladesh to Japan include leather goods, ready-made garments, and shrimp. By 2004, Japan had become Bangladesh's fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
, behind the United States, United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Japan's political goals in its relationship with Bangladesh include gaining support for their bid to join
Reform of the United Nations Security Council
Reform of the United Nations Security Council encompasses five key issues: categories of membership, the question of the veto held by the five permanent members, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods, and the Security Council-General Assembly relationship...
the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, and securing markets for their finished goods. Japan is a significant source of development aid
Development aid
Development aid or development cooperation is aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social and political development of developing countries.It is distinguished...
to Bangladesh.
North Korea
Due to their pro-China administration, North Korea did not establish ties until China recognised and established relations with Bangladesh in 1974. There is a North Korean embassy located in Dhaka although Bangladesh maintains a non-residential status. Instead communication between the JucheJuche
Juche or Chuch'e is a Korean word usually translated as "self-reliance." In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , "Juche" refers specifically to a political thesis of Kim Il-sung, the Juche Idea, that identifies the Korean masses as the masters of the country's development...
state and Bangladesh is with the latter's embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Relations have only gone as far as recognition and neither nation has ever desired to progress this even further, especially due to the increase in military cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea and North Korea's isolationist policies. In 2006, Bangladesh have used its ties with North Korea, urging them to comply with a UN resolution after North Korea's missile launch during a meeting with then Japanese Foreign Minister, Taro Aso
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
.
South Korea
Relations are considered to be productive and progressive. Their relations have gone on to expand in several areas such as defence and trade & investment. Bangladesh also sends a large number of skilled migrant workers to South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
to work in the following sectors:- construction, manufacture, services, and agriculture, fisheries and livestock. Bangladesh and South Korea's Olympic organisations signed an agreement which would benefit Bangladesh's sports development. One aspect is to bring in highly skilled Korean coaches to train Bangladeshi athletes and exchange of sport teams.
South Korea and Bangladesh are also increasing military ties, such as joint military exercises, training of units such as special forces and building a submarine. Bangladesh has already procured a ULSAN class frigate from South Korea.
The People's Republic of China
Early relations with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
were cold due to the rare use of China's veto at the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
to block Bangladesh's accession to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Lately however China has made efforts to improve relations with many of its neighbors. Trade with China reached a record level in 2006 of $3.2 billion under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
The , previouslyknown as the and renamed 2 November 2005, was signed in1975. It is the oldest preferential trade agreement between developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region....
(AFTA). The trade balance between the two countries are in China's favour. China has also officially agreed to helping Bangladesh on developing their nuclear power plant. Bangladesh has also signed the Apsco convention with six other nations to form a pact with China on space exploration.
Republic of China
There is no choice available recognising both the PRC and ROCRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
as legitimate nations, so Bangladesh opted to recognise the PRC. However, there is unofficial diplomatic relations with a ROC representative office in Dhaka. Although Bangladesh does not recognise the ROC (therefore illegal to travel there with a Bangladeshi passport), it quietly lifted a ban on flights between Dhaka and Taiwan.
Kyrgyz Republic
Bangladesh established diplomatic relations with KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
immediately after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
in 1991. As Bangladesh had mutual relations with the Soviet Union, the former intended to increase cooperation after the collapse, especially amongst the new Muslim majority nations. As Bangladesh have begun increasing production of pharmaceutical goods, melamine, garments and jute products other nations have become increasingly interested such as Kyrgyzstan whose Ambassador Orolbaeva Irina Abdyevna have said this could help strengthen bilateral ties. Other areas including education have been mentioned, with a demand of increasing educational exchange. President Iajuddin Ahmed
Iajuddin Ahmed
-Early life:Ahmed was born in Bikrampur of Dhaka District, erstwhile Bengal province, British India . As the son of Moulvi Ibrahim Mia, Ahmed obtained his B.Sc. and M.S. at the University of Dhaka in 1952 and 1954 respectively and later received his M.S. and Ph.D...
had said with the increasing standards of higher education especially in engineering, medical, science and technology, he stated Kyrgyz students can benefit studying in Bangladesh's educational facilities. Kyrgyzstan's expertise in hydroelectricity can also help with Bangladesh's growing energy problem.
Africa
Bangladesh's presence in Africa is mostly due to their large contribution to the peacekeeping forces present around the continent such as LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Ivory Coast, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
(Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
) and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. Bangladesh can foster ties based on its history such as nations in East Africa where there is a South Asian population (whose ancestors immigrated there during the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
). In countries such as Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been honoured. In Sierra Leone, Bengali have been declared a state language. It is currently trying to increase ties with the southern economic bloc in Southern Africa with nations such as Zimbabwe.
Arab Republic of Egypt
Bangladesh and EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
share views on international policies such as the occupation of Palestine and being members of D-8
Developing 8 Countries
The Developing 8 are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.-History:The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish Prime...
, OIC and the Like Minded Group
Like Minded Group
The Like Minded Group is a group of developing countries who organise themselves as block voters in international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization....
have helped to strengthen relations. Areas which the two countries are involved in are primarily trade, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, science, technology and tourism. There is also a number of Bangladeshi students studying in Egypt and Bangladesh have asked to accept more through its scholarship programme. Egypt also imports semi-skilled and skilled manpower from the South Asian country. However, along with increasing cooperation in education, they also want Egypt to accept more workers.
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Relations between the two were non-existent due to the refusal to recognise Bangladesh and granting asylum to some of those who assassinated Sheikh Mujib. After Bangladesh began sending its diplomats to the Arab world such as Libya to explain their view of the war, they immediately recognised and established diplomatic relations with Bangladesh. Bangladesh opened its embassy in TripoliTripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
on January 8, 1975.
Cooperation between the two countries are primarily in international foras such as the UN and the OIC. Both nations have a low-key relations but are generally good due to common grounds of social values and religion. They are now considering to increase trade ties such as importing Bangladesh's pharmaceutical products and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n oil. Bangladesh have asked Libya to ease visa restrictions for Bangladesh nationals and to take in more manpower. Apart from labourers there are also Bangladeshis working in professional occupations increasing people to people links. Bangladesh have also welcomed Libyan students to study engineering and medical degrees at their universities. There has also been discussion to set up a joint committee to increase bilateral trade.
Bangladesh is an accredited mission to Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and uses its embassy in Libya to communicate with those countries.
Republic of South Africa
Relations began during the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 1994, and full diplomatic relations were implemented on 10 September 1994.Due to the brutality and the White Supremacist ideology of the Apartheid regime, relations between South Africa and Bangladesh were non-existent until the collapse of white minority rule and Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's rise to power. There is a number of Bangladeshis which make up the South Asian community in South Africa and immigration still continues, although it has temporarily halted due to attacks against foreign workers.
Bangladesh exports its raw materials such as leather, finished jute and also garments and textiles. South Africa exports to Bangladesh are iron ore, steel, aluminium, infrastructure projects and machinery and equipment for railways.
Republic of Sudan
Throughout the course of history, relations between Bangladesh and SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
have been warm and smooth. Seeing as both nations share a common religion, relations are generally good, but only recently has cooperation began to increase between the two countries. In March 2008, both governments came to an agreement which would primarily allow Bangladesh to export semi-skilled and skilled workers and also the opportunity to allow Bangladeshi firms and companies to expand their operations to Africa's largest country by size which is now enjoying an oil boom regardless of the events occurring in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
since 2007. The relationship between Bangladesh and Sudan thickened as UN Peacekeeping Mission manned by Bangladeshi military started to work in Sudan in 2007.Bangladesh agreed to sending 1,600 of its personal and urgently needed helicopters to join the UN peacekeeping force in Darfur.
As part of the growing relationship, Bangladesh will open a full-fledged Diplomatic mission in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
. Relations have diverged into different areas such as education where Sudan has offered more scholarships to Bangladeshi students and
recently Sudan has shown interest in importing pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.
United Republic of Tanzania
Like other countries in East Africa, they share historical and religious ties to the former British Indian nations such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
has a South Asian community due to the immigration of Indian clerical workers to Africa during the time of the British Empire.
Tanzania has recently decided to import pharmaceutical goods from a Bangladeshi company known as Square Pharma. Tanzania was originally heavily dependent on India and other MNCs for medicines.
Middle East
It should be noted that during the Bangladesh Liberation WarBangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
, West Pakistan began a domestic and international propaganda campaign about the situation whereas India began its own media campaign in defense of the pro-independence faction. Because India was considered a non-Muslim nation, the majority of conservative Arab nations were in support of Pakistan, although interestingly enough non-Arab Muslim nations such as Indonesia and Turkey sympathised and established relations quickly. In the present, Bangladesh maintains relations to the Middle East through many areas such as commerce, history, military and most importantly religious ties which enabled the two to cooperate more easily then compared to their Western or Far Eastern partners. Bangladesh supplies over 1 million guest workers to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other Gulf countries. In turn most of Bangladesh's oil is imported from this region. Islamic countries and charities provide economic aid usually to advance the Islamic agenda, including funding mosques and madrassas.
During the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
, Bangladesh supported the Arabs and Palestinians and sent a medical team and relief supply which was appreciated. In return they enabled Bangladesh to become a member of NAM at the Algiers Summit in 1973 and pressured Pakistan into recognising Bangladesh in order to get Mujib to go to the 1974 OIC Summit in Lahore, as he stated that was his only condition.
Bangladesh also took active part in trying to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq during their eight year war as a member of the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
and participating in the UNIIMOG mission which they became Acting Head of in the last few years before withdrawal. It later helped them to be elected into the OIC Peace Committee.
Bangladesh strongly opposed the Israeli bombardment of South Lebanon which killed approximately 1,191 civilians and described it as "State Terrorism
State terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
" and a double standard conflict going into detail that a non-western nation would have been labelled a terrorist and a western nation would have never been deemed a terrorist. They also temporarily contributed to the peacekeeping effort after the 2006 Lebanon War by sending in battalions of infantry. Shortly after they were asked to leave as Bangladesh was not considered neutral by the UN Peacekeeping criteria such as refusing to recognise Israel.
Republic of Iraq
Like many other nations in the Middle East, IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
followed the same stance in supporting Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 albeit they did so verbally and had not participated in transferring weapons to West Pakistan. After Bangladesh dispatched diplomats across the Middle East to explain their view of the conflict, Iraq became the first Arab nation to recognise Bangladesh in August 1972. Bangladesh and Iraq has missions located in Baghdad and Dhaka although Iraq closed theirs down after the Iraq War began but has expressed interest in reopening since last year.
Bangladesh and Iraq's ties are primarily based on common faith but there has not been much progression into areas such as trade and investment. Between 1980 and 1986, Iraq sent five officers to study in Bangladesh's military academy in Dhaka. The only notable visit between the two nations was Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's visit to Bangladesh in 1988. The height of Bangladesh-Iraq relations was during the 1980s due to Bangladesh's role in trying to call for a ceasefire between Iraq and Iran during their war and was a part of UNIIMOG. Relations quickly deteriorated after Iraq invaded Kuwait sparking the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and a huge rise in oil prices. Bangladesh responded to the UN resolution demanding Iraq withdraw by the deadline or face military action. Bangladesh's other reasons for participation was because of the Bangladeshi community in Kuwait who some work on oil rigs and Kuwait is Bangladesh's oil supplier. Compared to Iraq's relation to its neighbours and the West, their relations with Bangladesh were considered satisfactory and this was displayed by deploying two engineer battalions rather than infantries to directly engage Iraqi troops.
Relations between Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
would later improve after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 when Bangladesh declined to send troops to Iraq despite America's persistence and stating that the UN should have had a primary role in solving the matter before the war. Currently they want a complete withdrawal from Iraq and has expressed support for reconstruction efforts. The public in Bangladesh have repeatedly held large demonstrations against the war.
Islamic Republic of Iran
Although the nations are vastly different in culture and history, relations are very positive due to the majority population in both countries adhering to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Another aspect of their relation is their fluctuating and unstable relationship with Pakistan and the concern over India's growing influence in the region.
Immediately after the independence of Bangladesh, many non-Arab nations quickly recognised the new country. However, due to the strong pro-US attitude of the Shah and helping to transport weapons to West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
during the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
, relations did not occur until as late as 1979 after the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
which was greeted with unanimous support from Bangladeshis. Due to Ziaur Rahman's amendment in the constitution declaring to consolidate relations with Islamic states, relations have been progressive since and it has diverse into areas such as trade, investment and culture. A turning point in relations was during the Iraq-Iran War when Bangladesh as a UN Security Council member tried to broker a ceasefire between the nations and settle their disputes with dialogue. Eventually, Bangladesh would participate in UNIIMOG mission to observe that agreements such as a ceasefire had been honoured.
In 1995, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is an influential Iranian politician and writer, who was the fourth President of Iran. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts until his resignation in 2011...
became the first President of Iran to visit Bangladesh. The current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is looking to strengthen relations with countries in South Asia such as Bangladesh by increasing Iranian investment like building oil refineries. In return, Bangladesh supports Iran to have full membership in the SAARC and its controversial nuclear program saying it is for "peaceful purposes". In 2006, both countries signed a preferential trade accord which removes non-tariff barriers, hoping to take it further to a free trade agreement and in 2007, Bangladesh has requested Iranian assistance on building its nuclear power plant.
Both countries are members of Developing 8 Countries
Developing 8 Countries
The Developing 8 are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.-History:The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish Prime...
, OIC, Like Minded Group
Like Minded Group
The Like Minded Group is a group of developing countries who organise themselves as block voters in international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization....
and SAARC (although Iran has observer status). They have generally similar views on world issues especially on the occupation of Palestine.
State of Israel
Bangladesh does not recognize IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It has taken a similar stance to that of its fellow Muslim nations in calling for an end to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
and for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Bangladesh is also the only nation to have a complete ban on trade (indirect and direct) with Israel even though both are members of the WTO. As Bangladesh does not have any diplomatic relations with Israel, it is not permitted for Bangladeshis to travel to Israel using a Bangladesh passport
Bangladesh passport
The Bangladesh passport is issued to citizens of Bangladesh for international travel. The passport may be issued by the Government of The People's Republic of Bangladesh or by any of its overseas missions to any Bangladeshi citizen who are citizens by birth or by descent...
, which brought about the arrest of journalist Salah Choudhury
Salah Choudhury
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is the editor of the Bangladeshi tabloid The Weekly Blitz the most influential anti-Jihadist newspaper in Bangladesh, and editor-in-chief of vernacular weekly Jamjamat....
.
In the immediate aftermath of 2006 Lebanon War Bangladesh offered to send battalions of its infantrymen to help with the UN peacekeeping force, however Israel rejected it stating Bangladesh does not recognise Israel. Although Israel rejected the country's participation, Bangladesh and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
were the first countries whose troops reached the shores of South Lebanon whereas Western nations such as the original leader and top contributor, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, delayed their deployment. Immediately after other UN peacekeepers arrived, Bangladeshi forces had to leave immediately, as they were considered not to be neutral in the conflict based on the fact of Bangladesh refusing to recognise Israel and a comment made by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Morshed Khan
Morshed Khan
Morshed Khan was the foreign minister of Bangladesh from 2001 to 2006. Prior to entering politics, Khan was one of the most successful businessmen in Bangladesh...
who described Israel's retaliation as "state terrorism
State terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
".
State of Kuwait
Relations between the two countries are considered strong based on common religion and values. A turning point in relations occurred during the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
when Bangladesh sent a contingent of 2,300 personnel to monitor peace in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and a contributor to UNIKOM with a mechanised infantry battalion. Bangladesh sends guests workers to Kuwait to enable its citizens to work in higher paying jobs leading to remittances as well as a Bangladeshi community in the country. Relations between the two countries have even indulged into military ties since the 1980s and a deal signed on February 1, 2004 under which Bangladesh Armed Forces are to provide technical and vocational training to the Kuwaiti army for the next six years. Currently 4,000 Bangladeshi personnel are operating in Kuwait.
Relations have been strained due to the mistreatment of Bangladeshi workers such as harsh working conditions, low wages (or not being paid for weeks or even months) and several human rights breaches such as chaining or brutally beating workers. There has been calls from the KSDD to replace the "sponsorship system" with the ones used in western nations to avoid restrictions of freedom on foreign workers, who the head of the organisation described as a form of slavery.
Lebanese Republic
Although culturally different, ties between the two are based on common background such as religious tolerance, the need to tackle Islamic militancy, similar views on global events and common religion. Bangladesh opposed Israel's bombing of South LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
during the 2006 Lebanon War and offered to contribute approximately 2,000 troops to the peacekeeping force. However, after establishing UN mission on the ground they were asked to leave for not meeting the UN criteria of neutrality such as the non-existent relations with Israel.
Bangladesh like other South Asian countries also send workers to Lebanon to work in domestic and manual jobs, although many like those in the Gulf states complain of harsh conditions and low wages. During the 2006 Lebanon War, some of the Bangladeshis returned home but some went unpaid as their employers escaped the conflict by travelling abroad.
Palestinian National Authority
Relations between Bangladesh and PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
are considered to be warm and cordial as Bangladesh advocates for an independent Palestinian state and an end to Israeli occupation. Bangladesh is one of the 93 countries to recognise Palestine as a state since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence
Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence is a statement written by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and proclaimed by Yasser Arafat on 15 November 1988. It had previously been adopted by the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization , by a vote...
on November 15, 1988. The first high-level meeting between the two was in 1974 at the second OIC summit in Lahore, Pakistan between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
and Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
. Since then there have been high level contact such as Yasser Arafat's visits in 1981 and 1987 who was warmly received by both former presidents Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman
President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981...
and Hossain Mohammad Ershad
Hossain Mohammad Ershad
Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad is a Bangladeshi politician who was President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990. Previously, he was Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army and then Chief Martial Law Administrator in 1982....
with favourable media coverage. Later when democracy returned to Bangladesh, Arafat was also received warmly by Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. There is a wide public support for an independent Palestine as the Government had reported in 1987 that 8,000 had volunteered for the PLO although there had never been any official moves to send weapons or personnel. However, it has been reported that some Bangladeshis have travelled to Lebanon to join Palestinian battles against Israel. Since the 1980s, under IMET (International Military Education and Training) there have been development of military ties between the PLO and Bangladesh with the former attending one year courses at the Bangladesh Military Academy near Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
. Palestine are represented in Bangladesh by the Embassy of the State of Palestine that has been established in Dhaka. Bangladesh also provided material help to establish the diplomatic mission.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Early relations between RiyadhRiyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
where somewhat dormant owing to the
former capital's country's close bond with Bangladesh's historical oppressor, Pakistan. From mid-1970s onward Bangladesh was seeking closer ties with oil rich Arab states such as Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. After the 1982 coup by Ershad, he visited Riyadh to meet with the King. Nine months later a ten member delegation of the Saudi military arrived in Bangladesh to discuss possible military ties and inspect its facilities. There was a rumour persisting amongst the press that the Saudis were considering to station a division of the Bangladesh army in the Kingdom (15,000 personnel). It was reported as a proposal by Ziaur Rahman although both governments deny this, the rumour continued into Ershad's rule. Since 1981, Saudi Arabia has sent 77 officers to the Defense Services Command & Staff College in Dhaka, which is the college's largest number of overseas graduates from a single nation.
Bangladesh is seeking to increase economic ties with Saudi Arabia in order to reduce the trade deficit currently in the Kingdom's favour. One of their proposals is to export ceramics, leather and pharmaceutical products to the Kingdom as they are already doing with the western nations.
Commonwealth of Australia
Australia and Bangladesh enjoy good relations since Australia was the first western nation and the fourth in the world to recognise Bangladesh opening its embassy in Dhaka in 1972. There is also a Bangladeshi community present in the country.New Zealand
Relations between the two nations are friendly since 1971 with New Zealand amongst the few nations to quickly recognise Bangladesh. The trade balance between the two nations remains in New Zealand's favour. Bangladesh exports its raw materials such as jute, textiles and clothing whereas New Zealand invests in areas such as banking, education and infrastructure development. There is also a small Bangladeshi community in New Zealand.Europe
European countries, particularly from Scandinavia, provide significant economic assistance to Bangladesh.European Union
Bangladesh's relations with the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and its member states remained a priority area in the foreign policy context. A number of achievements were made in the economic field during that brief period. At present EU is the top export destination of Bangladesh's products (48% of the total product). International Jute Study Group is being established in Dhaka. Bangladesh successfully participated in World Apparel Fair, European Seafood Exposition, Bangladesh Trade Show in Moscow and Kiev.
French Republic
France and Bangladesh share an amicable relationship. In 1991, France cancelled Bangladesh's public debt (FRF 598M) as a gesture of goodwill. Trade between the two remains in Bangladesh's favour with France being its fourth biggest customer in 2005 (5.9% of Bangladeshi exports). France has many direct investments in the country such as the Lafarge cement plant in Chatak and has recently shown interest in aiding Bangladesh with the development of a nuclear power plant for civilian purposes.Federal Republic of Germany
After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Germany was one of the first European countries to officially recognise Bangladesh in 1972. Bangladesh also warmly greeted German reunification. As an economic power as well as an important member of the European Union (EU), Germany is a reliable partner of Bangladesh in development cooperation. Since independence, German churches and numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) made tremendous efforts to promote the social and economic development of Bangladesh. German assistance to Bangladesh is received in the form of development efforts, trade and cultural cooperation. Both countries have a long and successful bilateral relationship on most international issues. Germany always emphasises the democratic characteristics, governance issues and development process of Bangladesh.After establishment of diplomatic relations, the bilateral relations between the two countries began to grow steadily. Between the start of development cooperation in 1972 and the end of 2005, Bangladesh received approximately € 2.3 billion in commitments from Germany as part of bilateral financial and technical cooperation, in addition of the funds provided by the German churches and NGOs. At an intergovernmental negotiation in 2005, Bangladesh received € 14 million in new commitments from Germany. Since 1978, all German funds provided as part of government level cooperation have been in the form of non-repayable grants.
Bangladesh is a priority partner country of German Development Cooperation (GTZ). By an agreement between both the government adopted in May 2004, the activities of the GTZ focus on three priority areas such as healthcare including family planning, economic reform and development of the market system through promotion of private sector, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and renewable energies. Among the other ongoing projects the promotion of legal and social empowerment of women in Bangladesh is also to be mentioned. The sustainable economic development programme of GTZ in Bangladesh contributes to the competitiveness of the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, as well as other export-oriented sectors like silk, leather and jute.
In trade with Germany, Bangladesh has for years recorded a large surplus. Germany is the second largest export market of Bangladesh after the US. Bangladesh exports in Germany in 2006 amounted to € 1.56 billion as compared with Bangladesh imports in the same period of only € 305 million. About 94% of the exports from Bangladesh to Germany are RMGs and Bangladesh imports mainly comprising machinery, chemical and electrical goods, and medicines. A German-Bangladeshi investment promotion and protection agreement has been in force since 1986 and a bilateral double taxation accord since 1993. So far German direct investments in Bangladesh are almost € 60 million. The Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) acts as a business platform and mediator between both the countries.
The cultural relationship of both the countries is very strong. The cultural cooperation between them is mainly channeled through the Goethe Institute that work on developing the cultural ties between both the countries by sponsoring local and German cultural activities. Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany. There is a century-old exchange between German and Bengali people. German interest in the culture of Bengal dates back to the visits to Germany by the Bengali national poet and Nobel laureate for literature Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s and 1930s. Many Bangladeshi intellectuals take a keen and informed interest in German literature, art, architecture and philosophy. In Bangladesh Goethe Institute is the main meeting place for all those interested in Germany.
Goethe-Institute Dhaka with headquarters in Munich offers a broad variety of cultural events to present the German culture in Bangladesh through its main activities by film-workshops, film-presentations, seminars and lectures on socio-political subjects as well as on aspects on contemporary arts, theatre performances, and exhibitions of German and Bangladeshi artists.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany, and both the countries enjoy closest ties. There are increasing contracts amongst German and Bangladeshi artists, primarily in the fine arts, photography/film and theatre. Bangladeshi artists have been able to exhibit in German galleries and museums. A number of visual artists from Bangladesh have also made Germany their new home. Germany continues to promote the restoration of historical monuments, archaeological research and the unique legacy of the Bengali catamarans. Since 1981, a cooperation agreement has been in place between Radio Bangladesh and Deutsche Welle (DW).
The bilateral commercial and trade interests of both the countries are continuing, although there is considerable scope for greater engagement. Bilateral relations got some momentum by several high level visits, contracts, and political and economic dialogue. In December 2000, the then head of the government of Bangladesh officially visited Germany. In February 2004, a German nine-member parliamentary delegation also visited Bangladesh.
Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various international issues and work together in the UN and in other international forum. They have maintained and developed close and friendly relations in a wide range of field. The two countries are harmonized together by their commitment to various sectors mutually agreed upon, which is expected to be strengthened further in future.
Holy See
Relations are primarily based on the Roman Catholic community in Bangladesh who claim to have at least 221,000 adherents out of the total 600,000 ChristiansChristianity in Bangladesh
Christianity arrived in what is now Bangladesh during the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century AD, through the Portuguese traders and missionaries. Christians account for approximately 0.3% of the total population. Christianity's first contact with the Indian subcontinent is attributed to...
living in the country. Relations are good and some Bangladeshis travel to Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
especially on special occasions such as the inauguration of the new Pope. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
has an Apostolic Nunciature (equivalent to an embassy) located in Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka.
Russian Federation
Relations can be traced back to 1971 during the independence war when the Soviet Union sympathised with the Mukti BahiniMukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...
cause and offered their assistance in the conflict. Although the start of their relations were very favourable, Bangladesh and Russia's relations have fluctuated greatly from extremely warm during the early 1970s to an all time low during the 1980s (attributed to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). After the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
Bangladesh established ties with all the former Soviet Republics including Russia and began diversifying into other areas such as education, cultural, military and energy.
Turkey
Relations have been excellent since Turkey recognised Bangladesh soon after independence. The trade volume between the two countries have grown as did Bangladeshi exports and has been in Bangladesh's favour throughout their economic relationship. Bangladesh was one of the only six countries to support the Turkish invasion of CyprusTurkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
during a UN vote on the matter. On the issue of Cyprus, Bangladesh at multilateral organisations such as the UN, use this as an opportunity to defend the rights of the Turkish minority. They also supported the creation of the Developing 8 Countries
Developing 8 Countries
The Developing 8 are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.-History:The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish Prime...
with six other nations with large Muslim populations.
United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland
The ties between Britain and Bangladesh date back to the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. During the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
Britain offered shelter to diplomats and people who escaped the conflict. The government, politicians and the media were also critical of the atrocities and shown empathy for the Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...
. On February 4, 1972 Britain recognised Bangladesh, this eventually led to recognition from other European and Commonwealth nations and Bangladesh's induction into the Commonwealth on April 18, 1972. Britain holds the largest Bangladeshi diaspora
Bangladeshi diaspora
The Bangladeshi diaspora consists of people of Bangladeshi descent who have immigrated to or were born in another country. First generation migrants may have moved abroad from Bangladesh for better living conditions, to escape poverty, or to send money back to families in Bangladesh.The world's...
in the western world, now numbered at around 500,000, most of them can trace their ties to the region of Sylhet. Britain also holds the largest open air Asian festival in Europe called Baishakhi Mela
Baishakhi Mela
The Baishakhi Mela celebrated in London, England, takes place across the area of Banglatown in the borough of Tower Hamlets in east London through Brick Lane to Weavers Fields and Allen Gardens in Bethnal Green. The event is a celebration of the Bengali New Year, with musical and cultural events...
, a Bangladeshi event held in London.
There has been numerous delegation visits since Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home visited Bangladesh in June 1972. The first visit by a prime minister was James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
in 1978. Other prime ministers who had visited Bangladesh are John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in a 3-day visit between 10–12 January 1997 and Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in 2002. Presidents and Prime Ministers of Bangladesh such as Sheikh Mujib, Ziaur Rahman and Fakhruddin Ahmed have visited the UK.
In March 2008, Fakhruddin Ahmed had visited Number 10 to discuss increasing British investment and cooperation in defence and trade, especially on counter-terrorism and duty-free access for LDCs. Britain is the largest foreign investor in Bangladesh and the third biggest export destination for Bangladeshi goods after USA and Germany.
At the 7th ISS Asia Security Summit (also known as Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore, Bangladesh's Foreign advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury met with UK's Defence Minister Des Browne at the sidelines to discuss security and defense relations between the two countries. Browne says he hoped that Bangladesh's modernising values can reach the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK.
Canada
Relations between the two countries are positive and there are approximately 24,595 Canadians of Bangladeshi origin living in Canada.United States of America
The United States is an aid donor to Bangladesh. It provides assistance during natural calamities. In the post 9/11 scenario, American policy-makers expressed support for moderation in Bangladesh. The US State Department voiced support for free elections before 2008 ends. Approximately 150,000 citizens are of Bangladeshi origin with the majority in professional jobs. Before the 63rd UN General Assembly, Bangladesh's foreign minister had met with James F. Moriarty who is continuing his lobbying for Bangladesh's recognition of Kosovo and not to recognise the break-away regions of South OssetiaSouth Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
and Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury was Adviser for the Foreign Ministry to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh from January 2007 to January 2009. In addition, he was also given the portfolios of the Ministries of Expatriates' Welfare and Chittagong Hill Tracts....
has replied that Bangladesh will consider its national interests and decide what course of action they will take.
Brazil
Bangladesh's only embassy in South America is located in Brazil. Trade is the primary part of their relations exporting raw materials such as metals from its open mines and importing pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh.Venezuela
Bangladesh and Venezuela have maintained good ties as both nations have begun increased communications with each other. On August 2006, Venezuela had asked Bangladesh for support for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council although Venezuela was not successful due to the repeated deadlocks in the 2006 UN Security Council election.While hosting the NAM summit on July 2, 2008, Bangladesh and Venezuela agreed to strengthen diplomatic ties. Congressman Monga and Montiel had met with Bangladesh's Minister of Information Jamil Osman discussing media access for third world nations and receive advice in setting up a news station. Osman also requested the incorporation of news produced in Bangladesh in Telesur, Venezuelan TV station.
India
- 6.5 km of the border between India and Bangladesh remains to be demarcated.
- Ongoing discussions with Bangladesh to exchange 162 minuscule enclavesIndo-Bangladesh enclavesThe Indo-Bangladesh enclaves, also known as the chitmahals are the enclaves along the Bangladesh–India border, in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal....
between the two. - Martime boundary dispute.
Pakistan
- Pre-1971 resource distribution.
- Relocating Bihari Paksitanis who are left behind since 1971.
- Apologizing for 1971 massacre.
See also
- The Tuesday GroupThe Tuesday GroupDisambiguation: The Tuesday Group also refers to a group of moderate republicans in the US Congress: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congressional-leaders-struggle-to-work-out-bipartisan-debt-deal/2011/07/30/gIQAqdfdjI_story_1.html...
- List of diplomatic missions in Bangladesh
- List of diplomatic missions of Bangladesh
- Visa requirements for Bangladeshi citizensVisa requirements for Bangladeshi citizensThe following countries offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for Bangladesh passport holders. Visa fees and conditions apply only for Bangladeshi citizens applying from Bangladesh...
- Visa policy of BangladeshVisa policy of BangladeshAs a sovereign state, foreigners seeking to enter Bangladesh must have permission to enter its territory. Visas are issued by Bangladesh missions located throughout the world; extensions are available at the Department of Immigrations and Passport of Bangladesh...
Further reading
- The Maritime Boundary Dispute Between Bangladesh and Myanmar: Motivations, Potential Solutions, and Implications by Jared Bissinger (Asia Policy, July 2010)