Bangladesh's foreign policy aims to preserve its sovereignty and economic advancement while maintaining friendly relations with all countries. It faces challenges from territorial disputes with neighbors like India and Myanmar over borders and maritime boundaries. However, Bangladesh has worked through international arbitration to peacefully resolve disputes. It plays an important role in regional economic cooperation initiatives like BIMSTEC and BCIM due to its strategic location connecting South and Southeast Asia. While Bangladesh faces economic and security threats in the region, strengthened regional connectivity and cooperation could help address issues like extremism and climate change.

1. Bangladesh’s foreign policy
: how was and is it going in
its region?
PS – 3104 : Foreign policy
Nyein Nyein Thant Aung
3PS-4, Political Science
University of Mandalay

2. Context
 Introduction
 How I measured its foreign policy
 Background history
 Internal factors & External factors
 International disputes
 How it is going ?
 How is their implementation of foreign policy?
 What needs?
 Conclusion

3. Introduction
 Understanding a neighborhood’s foreign policy
 What attracts me ? ( economy & cases concerned with illegal migration of
Bangali )
 BISMTEC , BCIM , China’s road to Indian Ocean
 How much the domestic instabilities effective on its foreign relations
 What are the external pressures
 How it’s going ?
 What next?

4. How to measure its foreign policy ?
 Internal factors  public , society , govt. org.,
leader
 External factors  territorial disputes, economic
& military strength.

5. Background history
 1947 East Pakistan
 1971 separation movement led by Awmai League ( AL )
 1975 military overthrew ( BNP )
 1991-2013 AL & BNP competition
 2007 emergency caretaker regime
 December 2008 AL won
 January 2014 AL won

6. Internal factors

8. External factors

9. How the domestic and external affairs
effects ?
Internal
external
Foreign
policy

10. Territorial disputes with its neighbors
2001 Bangladeshi-Indian border dispute conflict
Date 16–20 April 2001
Location Bangladesh-India border
Result Status quo ante bellum
 Bangladesh-India relations strained
Belligerents
Bangladesh India
Strength
1000+ (including civilians)[1][2][3][4] 2000+ [1][5][6] – a Brigade(2,000+)[7][8]
Casualties and losses
3 killed[6] 16 killed [5][9][10][11][12]

11. Territorial disputes with Myanmar

12. Territorial disputes with Myanmar

13. What was Bangladesh’s experience working with an
international arbitration process on this issue and can this
be an example for other bilateral territorial disputes in Asia?
 due to our excellent relations with both Myanmar and India, the decisions taken
by the international arbitration process on the demarcation of the maritime
territory between Bangladesh and those two friendly countries, were accepted
spontaneously by all in the spirit of friendship and understanding. Bangladesh
was happy with the fair, just, and conclusive decision of the international
arbitration process. It reflected and reaffirmed the integrity and correctness of
the arbitration process.
 As for Bangladesh, it remains convinced that such maritime differences between
countries can all be solved in a similar manner in a friendly environment created
by friendly relations.

14. From Bangladesh’s perspective, what are the
greatest threats facing the South Asian
Region? What can we do to address these
issues?
 A factor for quickening development is good connectivity
of roads, rail, water, and air in the region. Good
connectivity could bolster vibrant trade and commerce
among the countries. These in turn could help in creating
an enlightened and prosperous populace thus ridding the
region of extremism and terrorism, tackling climate
change, and facing all other challenges threatening the
region.

15. Bangladesh is naturally an integral part of the Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). what role will
Bangladesh play?
 Bangladesh has felt the need of the same, more so
because of its strategic location as a natural bridge
between South and Southeast Asia
 As for Bangladesh’s role, it is clear that whether it be
BIMSTEC or be the other regional organizations, its
strategic location will inevitably ensure it as the
economic hub of the region, or even of the greater
region. Bangladesh’s role would thus be of a catalyst for
all countries not only in BIMSTEC, but also in SAARC and
ASEAN, to prosper

16. the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

17.  Bangladesh is also part of the Bangladesh-China-India-
Myanmar Corridor, or the BCIM. How can Bangladesh
contribute to this economic grouping and what does
Bangladesh hope to gain from its participation?
 The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor or BCIM is
another excellent development of physical
communication by roads/highways among four
neighboring countries. Bangladesh with its market of 160
million people falls literally in the middle with India’s 1.2
billion market in the west, China with 1.4 billion market
in the north and Myanmar’s 70 million market in the east.
With excellent connection among these huge markets, a
frenzy of economic activity is inevitable among the four
countries. In the center of it all would be Bangladesh,
reaping substantial benefits

18. BCIM
B =
Bangladesh
C = China
I = India
M = Myanmar

19. Bangladesh’s foreign policy is based on the Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s
dictum, “Friendship towards all, malice towards
none.”

20. The core principles
 Self-preservation
 Economic advancement
 Safeguarding as well as augmenting national power
 Ideology
 National prestige

21. What needs ?
 1) Self-preservation maintenance of its physical integrity.
 2) The unity of its people from the basis content of foreign policy of
Bangladesh.
 3) The entire congeries of rights and privileges the big powers exercise beyond
its border.
 4) Strength of national economy.
 5) Economic development and the achievement of higher level of living.
 6) Demand an uninterrupted external existence inflow.
 7) Interactions with other states.
 8) To satisfy domestic needs and aspirations.
 9) Trade aid access to communication flows sources of supply and foreign
market

22. Conclusion
 According to armed conflict with India in 2001 with causalities and other conflicts
concerned with races , the relations between India and Bangladesh seems to be
unwell
 In these days, with the economic globalization, Bangladesh would like to cooperate
with China through BCIM
 It would like to be center for maritime trade in the region of South Asia and would
like to integrate with ASEAN….
 Though the records say that she is under poverty line but her economy is in rising line
of 6% annually.
 Despite its poverty and small military capability, Bangladesh has not hesitated
to defend its sovereignty and to take strong stands on many international
issues.
 . The friendly relations it has enjoyed with Islamic nations have led to the receipt
of economic aid from wealthy Arab countries.
 The foreign policy of Bangladesh is tied closely to the realities of its economic
condition

23. References
-Bangladesh’s Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin on regional connectivity, maritime disputes, and regional
security threats, By Diplomatic Access November 18, 2015
--Bangladesh profile - Timeline, BBC Asia, 1 January 2016
-- THE SOUTH ASIA CHANNEL Bangladesh on the Brink, MARCH 26, 2015
-- Realities and challenges to Bangladesh foreign policy Regional scenario(_i)
-- How does Bangladesh’s socio-political situation affect India - Council on Foreign Relations
--Bangladesh foreign policy faces challenges. _ PriyoAustralia.com.au
--Challenges and Opportunities in Bangladesh
--CIA world fact book 2015
-- Maritime Boundary Dispute between Myanmar and Bangladesh, Dr Kyawt Kyawt Khine,