Bangladesh must avoid choosing between global partners: Information minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon
today (4 June) said any approach forcing Bangladesh to choose between key
international partners would be detrimental to national interests.
"Any policy that compels
Bangladesh to choose one side over another would be harmful to the country's
long-term interests," the minister said.
Bangladesh must pursue a foreign
policy that integrates all major internal and external dimensions, he said
while presiding over a discussion titled "Ziaur Rahman's Independent
Foreign Policy in the Current Context" and a newspaper exhibition
organised at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) auditorium marking the 45th
death anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir attended the programme as the chief guest.
Swapon said Bangladesh's economic
and strategic interests are deeply interconnected with multiple global partners
and regions.
He said the country relies
significantly on China and India for imports while the United States and
European countries remain the primary destinations for Bangladesh's ready-made
garment exports.
He also said remittances largely
originate from the Middle East, while Bangladesh depends on foreign energy
sources and international cooperation to ensure energy security.
Referring to the country's energy
sector, the minister said Bangladesh is implementing its nuclear power
programme with Russian financial support, imports energy resources from Middle
Eastern countries, particularly Qatar, and is exploring opportunities to import
hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India.
"In such a reality, the
government must carefully manage these interdependencies through a balanced and
pragmatic foreign policy," he said.
Drawing on the legacy of former
President Ziaur Rahman, Swapon said Bangladesh's foreign policy underwent a
significant transformation after 1975.
He said Ziaur Rahman successfully
guided the country from a one-party political framework to a multiparty system,
embraced a market-oriented and pro-Western economic approach, strengthened
relations with international development partners, expanded ties with the
Muslim world and played a key role in the establishment of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
He said Ziaur Rahman's diplomatic
strategy helped transform several bilateral issues into broader regional and
multilateral discussions.
"His leadership enabled
Bangladesh to secure international cooperation, achieve food self-sufficiency,
increase overseas employment and remittance inflows, and explore new export
sectors, including the ready-made garment industry," Swapon said.
The minister stressed that
Bangladesh should avoid any foreign policy framework that requires choosing
between major global partners such as China, India, the United States, Europe
or the Middle East.
Swapon also highlighted Ziaur
Rahman's inclusive and independent diplomatic approach, saying it earned
recognition from regional and international leaders.
He said Bangladesh's foreign policy
should continue to prioritise national interests, economic stability and
sovereign decision-making while maintaining constructive relations with all
partners.
Economist Mushtaq Khan of the
School of Oriental and African Studies attended the event as a special guest.
Major Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman,
president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, delivered
the keynote speech.
Director General of the Press
Institute of Bangladesh Faruk Wasif moderated the programme.
















