Foreign policy and relations of

Bangladesh

Presented By
Sunjida Upama
Lecturer
Dept. of Natural Science
Port City International University
 Foreign policy and relations of
Bangladesh
1. Foreign policy of Bangladesh (aim and
objectives)
2. Bangladesh-India relation (maritime
boundary issue, enclave and exclave
issue, border killing, illegal migration)
3. Bangladesh-Myanmar relation
(Rohingya issue)
4. Bangladesh- Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka
and Maldives relation
5. Bangladesh-USA relation
6. Bangladesh- China relation
7. Bangladesh- Middle East relation
8. Bangladesh-EU relation.
 Foreign policy of Bangladesh
(aim and objectives)
• As like other countries,
Bangladesh Foreign policy
also has some major
objectives. Aims and
objectives of the
Bangladesh foreign policy
are to foster public
interest, to protect
national security, to make
sure development, to
confirm national dignity
and to keep countries
ideology alive.
• The fundamental Foreign Policies of Bangladesh
originate from the article no. 25 of
the Constitution of Bangladesh:
 The State shall base its international relations on
the principles of respect for national sovereignty
and equality.
 non-interference in the internal affairs of other
countries.
 peaceful settlements of international disputes.
 and respect for international law and the
principles enunciated in the United Nations
Charter.
• To ensure the public interest is the basic reason
for a foreign policy. Ensuring public interest one
of the major objectives of Bangladesh foreign
policy. Policymakers made to serve the purpose
of the state and that is the highest priority.

• Bangladesh foreign policy is made to ensure

national security both internally and externally.
Internal dimension can be understood from
political and economic stability of the
environment. It denotes stability of the domestic
sphere of Bangladesh. On the contrary, external
security means preservation of freedom from the
external opponent .
• One of the major agenda of Bangladesh foreign
policy is to ensure national development. To
encourage foreign direct investment and effective
use of the Bangladeshi Diaspora can be an
example. Besides collection of grant and aid for
national development get priority in foreign
policy.

• Another aim of foreign policy of Bangladesh is to

dignify the country in the international arena by
participating in many international events like UN
peacekeeping mission.
• Bangladesh's diplomatic relationship is used in
different area likely to facilitate RMG sector, to
support Bangladeshi worker in foreign
countries, to promote trade and commerce,
to develop close relationships with
neighboring countries and to combat
terrorism.
 Bangladesh-India relations
• Bangladesh and India are South Asian neighbors.
Relations have been friendly, although sometimes
there are border disputes. They are common
members of SAARC, BIMSTEC, IORA and
the Commonwealth.
• The two countries share many cultural ties. In
particular, Bangladesh and the east Indian state
of West Bengal are Bengali-speaking.
• Bangladesh has a high commission in New Delhi
with consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata. India has
a high commission in Dhaka with a consulate
in Chittagong.
• In 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War broke
out between East Pakistan and West Pakistan;
India intervened in December 1971 on behalf
of East Pakistan and helped secure East
Pakistan's independence from Pakistan as the
country of Bangladesh.
• In a 2014 survey, 70% of Bangladeshis
expressed a favorable opinion and perception
of India. Indo-Bangladesh bilateral trade
surged by 24% to reach US$9.3 billion in the
year 2018 from about US$7.52 billion in the
preceding year.
maritime boundary issue: India and
Bangladesh had engaged in eight rounds of
bilateral negotiations starting 1974, but it
remained inconclusive until 2009. In October
2009, Bangladesh served India with notice of
arbitration proceedings under the UNCLOS.
• The Arbitration Tribunal delivered the ruling on 7
July 2014 and settled the dispute.
• Both countries welcomed the decision of the
U.N. tribunal which puts an end to a decades-
long dispute between the two South Asian
neighbors.
enclave and exclave issue: The enclaves
or chitmahals (Bengali: ছিটমহল) between
India and Bangladesh border in the Indian
state of West Bengal were a long-standing
issue between the countries.
• The prime ministers of India and Bangladesh
signed a Land Boundary Agreement in 1974 to
exchange all enclaves and simplify the
international border. In 1974 Bangladesh
approved the proposed Land Boundary
Agreement, but India did not ratify it.
• In 2011 the two countries again agreed to
exchange enclaves and adverse possessions. A
revised version of the agreement was finally
adopted by the two countries when the
Parliament of India passed the 119th
Amendment to the Indian Constitution on 7
May 2015.
• Inside the main part of Bangladesh, there
were 111 Indian enclaves (17,160.63 acres),
while inside the main part of India, there were
51 Bangladeshi enclaves (7,110.02 acres).
• In respect of adverse possessions, India
received 2,777.038 acres of land and
transferred 2,267.682 acres to Bangladesh.
Under the agreement, the enclave residents
could continue to reside at their present
location or move to the country of their
choice.
 border killing: Deaths of Bangladeshi
citizens in the Indo-Bangladesh
border became one of the embarrassments
between the two nation's bilateral relations in
recent years.
• The so-called ‘shoot-to-
kill’ policy by
India's Border Security
Forces (BSF) that
according to Human
Rights Watch killed nearly
1,000 Bangladeshis
between 2001 and 2011
has remained at the core
of the talks between
Bangladeshi and Indian
officials visiting each
other
• While anger grew in Bangladesh because of the
continued BSF shootings and subsequent
deaths, Indian officials argue that heightened
security has followed the increasing flow of illegal
migrations into India as well as continued misuse
of the border by illicit traders.
• Border police often shoots to kill any illegal
immigrants crossing the border. Human Rights
Watch estimates say 1,000 people were killed in
the area between 2001 and 2011 by Indian
border security force BSF.
illegal migration: Illegal Bangladeshi
immigration into India. The border is porous
and migrants are able to cross illegally, though
sometimes only in return for financial or other
incentives to border security personnel.
• Bangladeshi officials have denied the
existence of Bangladeshis living in India and
those illegal migrants found are described as
having been trafficked.
• This has considerable
repercussions for those
involved, as they are
stigmatized for having
been involved in
prostitution, whether or
not this has actually
been the case. Cross
border migrants are
also at far higher risk
of HIV/AIDS infection.
Trade and investment: The trade is set to go
at $10 billion by 2018 through ports. Bilateral
trade between India and Bangladesh stood at
US$6.6 billion in 2013-14 with India's exports at
US$6.1 billion and imports from Bangladesh at
US$462 million, representing more than double
the value of US$2.7 billion five years ago.
• India is also looking to export electricity from its
north-eastern region with potential to generate
some 58,971 MW to its eastern States through
Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh-Myanmar relation
(Rohingya issue)
• Bangladesh-Myanmar
relations have gone
through period of
collaboration and conflict.
Conflict means the sense
of conflict of interest and
result of diplomatic
problems.
• Bangladesh-Myanmar
relations formally started
from 13 January 1972. On
that day Myanmar gave
recognition Bangladesh as
a sovereign country.
• On 14 March 2012 the longstanding maritime
dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar came
to an end after the International tribunal for the
Law of the Sea gave its final decision. The
judgment was final and without appeal, which
Bangladesh won by 21 votes to one.
• Both states complained against each other to
have extra spaces in sea than they have. But
Bangladesh got the victory for their
claimed maritime area according
the international law of the sea. It was a decent
sign that Myanmar’s acknowledgment of the
decision.
 Rohingya issue: Violence against the in
Myanmar’s north-western Rakhine state has
generated a massive influx ofrefugees to
Bangladesh that will test bilateral relations.
According to a report published in TheDiplomatic
Envoy October 8 2018, ‘As of October 2018, more
than 90 percent of Myanmar’s
Rohingyapopulation has fled to Bangladesh in
search of a safer life, reports Aljazeera. Since
violence broke outover a year ago, roughly
700,000 individuals have crossed over
Bangladesh’s Southeastern border.
• With a small portion settling in Bangladesh
beforehand, the total number now exceeds
960,000 refugees. According to Human Rights
Watch, Myanmar’s authorities have
continuously brutalized Rohingya refugees.
This has occurred in the form of extreme
discrimination and police brutality. In
addition, widespread sexual violence has
slowly become a norm in this conflict.
• The current situation of
Myanmar Bangladesh
bilateral relation is very
sensitive. Without any
doubt the bilateral
complexities are
increasing on the basis of
national interest and
national security.
• Specially Rohingya
refugee problem has
become not only national
security threat it has
created a humanitarian
alarming situation all over
the world.
 Bangladesh- Nepal, Bhutan, Sri
Lanka and Maldives relation
 Bangladesh- Nepal: Nepal and the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh enjoy
excellent bilateral relations ever since the
establishment of diplomatic relations on 08
April, 1972. The relations between the two
countries are based on cordiality, goodwill,
mutual understanding and cooperation. Nepal
was the 7th country to extend recognition to
Bangladesh by establishing diplomatic
relations as early as 1972.
• Nepal and Bangladesh, being least developed
countries, work closely on the issues of
common interests in the bodies like UNCTAD,
ECOSOC, WTO, and share similar views on
various regional and international forums
including SAARC, BIMSTEC and the United
Nations.
• Nepal-Bangladesh commercial and economic
relations are increasingly growing. There is
tremendous potential for expanding and
diversifying trade between the two countries.
• Nepal’s exports to Bangladesh constitute mainly
yellow lentils, oil cakes, cardamom (large), wheat,
vegetable seeds, handicrafts and pashminas.
Imports from Bangladesh include industrial raw
materials, chemicals, fabrics and textile, jute
products, electric and electronic items.
• As per the air services agreement between the
two countries, state owned airlines of
Bangladesh- Biman Bangladesh as well as some
private airlines has been operating flights in
Dhaka-Kathmandu-Dhaka sector on a daily basis.
This has contributed to Nepal’s tourism industry
and also, enhanced people-to-people contacts
between the two countries.
• The Government of
Bangladesh offers seats to
Nepali students in the
fields of medicine and
engineering every year. In
addition, hundreds of
Nepali students have
been pursuing higher
studies on self-finance
basis largely in medical,
dental science and
engineering fields in
various institutions of
Bangladesh.
Bangladesh-Bhutan:
Bangladesh and Bhutan are regional
neighbors. The Kingdom of Bhutan was the
first country to recognize Bangladesh's
independence. Relations are strong and long-
standing. In recent years, the two countries
have committed to a strategic development
partnership, encompassing hydropower, free
trade and transport. They are common
members of SAARC and BIMSTEC. Bangladesh
and India are the only countries to have
resident embassies in Bhutan.
• Bhutan and Bangladesh signed a bilateral trade
agreement in 1980, granting each other the
"most favoured nation" preferential status for
development of trade. As of FY 2009-2010
Bangladesh's total imports Bhutan stood at
US$25 million, while its exports to Bhutan
accounted for US$3 million.
• The two countries have begun negotiations to
jointly develop hydropower in the Himalayas.
Bhutan has a potential to generate more than
50,000 MW of hydroelectricity, which could
significantly supply the energy-starved market in
Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh-Sri Lanka: Bangladesh – Sri
Lanka relations refers to the bilateral relations
between the People's Republic of
Bangladesh and the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka. Relations have been
generally friendly due to trade and
investments. Bangladesh also hosts a number
of Sri Lankan medical students and cricket as a
form of friendly communications between
their people.
• The Bangladesh-Sri
Lanka joint working
group was formed in
2013 to increase trade.
The two countries have
agreed to sign a
shipping agreement. In
2013 Bilateral trade
between the two
countries crossed the
100 million dollar mark
Bangladesh-Maldives : Maldives and
Bangladesh established diplomatic relations on
22 September 1978. Maldives opened its High
Commission in Bangladesh in 2008. In 2011
Maldives government removed duty on all
Bangladesh exports to the country.
• Maldives has a significant Bangladeshi migrant
worker population and has encouraged the
migration of Bangladeshi workers.
• Maldivian government regularized the
immigration status of more than 16 thousand
Bangladeshi migrants on 2009. In 2011
Bangladesh exported goods worth .72 million
USD and imported US$1.46 million from
Maldives.
 Bangladesh-USA relation
• Bangladesh has an embassy
in Washington D.C. and
consulates in New York
City and Los Angeles. The
United States has an
embassy in Dhaka, with
information centers
in Chittagong, Jessore,
Rajshahi and Sylhet.
• The U.S. Embassy in
Bangladesh also operates
the Archer K Blood
American Library and the
Edward M Kennedy Centre
in Dhaka. Both countries are
members of the United
Nations.
 Relations background:
• The United States established a consulate general
in Dacca on 29 August 1949, following the partition of
India and east Bengal becoming the eastern wing of
the Dominion of Pakistan.
• The U. S. Congress imposed an arms embargo on
Pakistan; but despite that, the Nixon White House sent
secret arms shipments to the junta. When India
intervened in December 1971, the White House
dispatched an aircraft carrier to the Bay on Bengal.
• Although the U.S. relationship with Bangladesh was
initially troubled because of strong U.S. ties with
Pakistan, U.S.-Bangladesh friendship and support
developed quickly following Bangladesh's
independence from Pakistan in 1971.
• After the liberation of Bangladesh in
December 1971 and the withdrawal of Indian
troops in March 1972, the United States
formally recognized the newly independent
country on April 4, 1972 and pledged US$300
million in aid.
• Relations between Bangladesh and the
American-led Western world dramatically
improved in the late 1970s, when
President Ziaur Rahman reversed the socialist
policies of the first post-independence
government and restored free markets.
• Relations between
Bangladesh and the
United States were
further strengthened by
the participation of
Bangladesh troops in
the 1991 Gulf war
coalition, and alongside
U.S. forces in numerous
UN peacekeeping
operations, including
Haiti in 1994,
 Present relations:
• U.S.-Bangladesh relations are excellent. These
relations were boosted in March 2000 when
President Clinton visited Bangladesh, the first-
ever visit by a sitting U.S. President, when
Secretary of State Colin Powell visited in June
2003, as well as when Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld visited in June 2004.
• Bangladesh is a major American ally in South
Asia. The two countries have extensive
cooperation on matters of regional and global
security, counter terrorism and climate change.
Bangladesh has been a key participant in
the Obama administration's main international
development initiatives, including food security,
healthcare and the environment.
• strategic dialogue agreement was signed
between the two countries in 2012. The US
Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat in
2015 described relations as "vibrant, multi-
faceted, and indispensable".
• According to American diplomats, U.S. policy in
Bangladesh features the "three Ds", meaning
Democracy, Development and Denial of space for
terrorism.
• As of 2016, Bangladesh is the largest recipient of
U.S. assistance in Asia outside Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
• P.L. 480 funds provide food assistance for the
poorest families and for disaster relief.
 Trade and investment:
• The United States is the largest export market for
Bangladesh. The U.S. is also one of the largest
sources of foreign direct investment in
Bangladesh.
• The biggest American investment in the country
are the operations of Chevron, which produces
50% of Bangladesh's natural gas.
• Bilateral trade in 2014 stood at US$6 billion. The
main American exports to Bangladesh are
agricultural products (soybeans, cotton, wheat,
dairy), aircraft, machinery, engines, and iron and
steel products.
• American imports from
Bangladesh include
apparel, footwear, and
textile products; toys,
games and sporting
goods; shrimp and
prawns; and agricultural
products.
• USA is Bangladesh's
most important trading
partner, with about 18%
of its exports being
destined for USA.
• In 2017, the United States exported
approximately $1.5 billion in U.S. goods to
Bangladesh and imported approximately $5.7
billion worth of goods from Bangladesh U.S.
exports to Bangladesh include agricultural
products (grains, seeds, soybeans, cotton,
wheat, and corn), machinery, and iron and
steel products. U.S. imports from Bangladesh
include apparel, footwear, and textile
products, headgear, and agricultural products.
 Others:
• The United States is one of Bangladesh's
principal strategic military allies. American
defense cooperation is seen as a counterweight
to the regional powers India and China. Joint
exercises are held on a regular basis, particularly
in the Bay of Bengal. The U.S. Pacific Command
maintains regular engagements with
the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
• There were 7,496 Bangladeshi students in U.S.
universities in 2018, making Bangladesh 24th in
the world among countries sending students to
USA, and 10th in the world for sending Graduate
level students.
• The United States has assisted Bangladesh during
cyclone relief operations in 1991 and 2007. Operation
Sea Angel One in 1991 and Operation Sea Angel Two in
2007 saw US Marines joining Bangladeshi troops in
providing relief to thousands of people in southern
Bangladesh who suffered as a result of the 1991
Bangladesh Cyclone and Cyclone Sidr.
• The US-Bangladesh relationship is strengthened by
the Bangladeshi American community. Fazlur Rahman
Khan designed the United States's tallest tower
in Chicago. Sal Khan is a prominent
educationist. Hansen Clarke was the first U.S.
congressman of Bangladeshi origin. M. Osman
Siddique served as US Ambassador to Fiji.
 Bangladesh- China relation
• Bangladesh has an embassy in Beijing and
consulates in Hong Kong and Kunming. China
has an embassy in Dhaka. Both countries are
members of the BCIM Forum (Bangladesh-
China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional
Cooperation).
• According to Chinese government
designations, Bangladesh and China are
"strategic partnership of cooperation".
 Background: When the Bangladesh War of
Independence broke out in 1971, complex
geopolitical rivalries erupted in South Asia.
• The Bangladeshis elicited the help of India in their
freedom struggle. China had earlier fought a war
with India in 1962 and became an ally of Pakistan.
• Crucially, it was using Pakistan as a conduit
for rapprochement with Richard Nixon and Henry
Kissinger in the United States.
• The PRC also replaced Taiwan (Republic of China)
as a permanent member of UN Security
Council in 1971. Its first veto was used to support
Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
• Despite the support of most countries in the
world, Bangladesh's UN membership was
vetoed by China until 1974.
• The situation dramatically changed
after military coups in Bangladesh began in
1975, causing Bangladesh to distance itself
from the Indo-Soviet Cold War axis in South
Asia.
• China and Bangladesh established diplomatic
relations in January 1976.
• President Ziaur
Rahman, who
restored free markets in
Bangladesh, visited
Beijing and the laid the
groundwork for the
relationship; while
numerous Chinese
leaders visited Dhaka in
the late 1970s.
Economic relations:
• Bangladesh is third largest trade partner of China
in South Asia. But, the bilateral trade between
them is highly tilted in favour of Beijing. Bilateral
trade reached as high as US$3.19 billion in 2006,
reflecting a growth of 28.5% between 2005 and
2006.
• Under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade
Agreement (AFTA), China removed tariff barriers
to 84 types of commodities imported from
Bangladesh and is working to reduce tariffs over
the trade of jute and textiles, which are
Bangladesh's chief domestic products
• China's mainly imports raw materials from
Bangladesh like leather, cotton textiles, fish,
etc. China's major exports to Bangladesh
include textiles, machinery and electronic
products, cement, fertiliser, tyre, raw silk,
maize, etc.
• The Bangladesh Army has been equipped with
Chinese tanks, its navy has Chinese frigates
and missile boats and the Bangladesh Air
Force flies Chinese fighter jets. In 2002, China
and Bangladesh signed a "Defence
Cooperation Agreement" which covers
military training and defence production.
• In 2006, a Chinese
report to the United
Nations revealed that
Dhaka is emerging as a
major buyer of Chinese-
made weapons.
• Almost 90 percent of
Bangladesh's arms are
sourced from China.
• China is a major development partner of
Bangladesh in infrastructure. China is building
bridges, roads, railway tracks, airport, and power
plants. Chinese developmental assistance mostly
comes as lines of credits.
• During President Jinping’s visit in 2016, China
promised to give $24 billion dollars in economic
assistance to Bangladesh primarily as lines of
credit for twenty four projects.
• China’s main interest is in Bangladesh’s 160
million strong market. Besides, Bangladesh is a
good outsourcing destination for its
manufacturing industries because of the cheap
labour Bangladesh offers.
 Bangladesh- Middle East
relation
• Although Bangladesh
only came into
existence in 1971, the
land which is today
Bangladesh has strong
ties to the Middle
East. Bangladeshis in
the Middle East form
the largest part of the
worldwide Bangladeshi
diaspora.
• Out of the 3,975,550 Bangladeshis abroad
approximately 2,820,000 live within the Middle
East, 0.075% of the Middle East population, with
half of them in Saudi Arabia, and a quarter of
them in the United Arab Emirates.
• Bangladeshis who come to the Middle East are
primarily guest workers or day labourers.
Bangladesh is one of the largest labour suppliers
to Saudi Arabia, in 2007 Bangladeshi workers
obtained the biggest share, with 23.50 per cent
of the 1.5 million Saudi Arabia visas issued.
• As of December 2016 there are an estimated
700,000 thousand Bangladeshi migrants in
UAE. Trade between the Bangladesh and UAE
stood at 967 million dollar in the 2012-2013
period. UAE has investments of 2.9 billion dollar
in Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh–Saudi Arabia relations had a
strained beginning but have grown into a strong
relationship between the People's Republic of
Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Being a Muslim-majority state, Bangladesh
attaches a special importance to its ties with
Saudi Arabia, which is the birthplace of Islam.
Both nations are members of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
 Bangladesh-EU relation
• The EU is the largest
export destination of
Bangladesh.
• The EU has campaigned
to improve labor
conditions, democracy
and freedom of
expression in Bangladesh.
In 2013 Bangladesh
signed the Sustainability
compact with the EU to
strengthen labor
conditions in the country.
• he European Union provided Bangladesh duty-
free access to the Union market under
the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative. The
European Union is Bangladesh's largest trading
parting accounting for 24 percent Bangladesh's
total trade.
• Bangladesh in the unions 35 largest trading
partner. Clothing makes 90 percent of all export
from Bangladesh to the EU. EU exports consists
mostly of machinery and transport equipment at
49 percent.
• The Everything But Arms scheme is expected to
end in 2021 when Bangladesh is predicted to
graduate to the developing country bracket.