On Jan. 17, 2024, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas met freshly appointed Bangladeshi Minister of Overseas Affairs Hasan Mahmud and mentioned the troubles of mutual interests, including local climate modify, bilateral industrial ties and the Rohingya crisis. Just ten times in advance of the assembly, on Jan. 7, the twelveth standard election in Bangladesh was held, and in its aftermath, the United States experienced expressed its motivation to the enlargement of the partnership involving Dhaka and Washington. Therefore, it appears that Washington, irrespective of its reservations about the inside political dynamics in Bangladesh, is eager to bolster its partnership with Dhaka.
Since the US recognition of Bangladesh’s independence on four April 1972, Dhaka and Washington have shared solid political, economic, stability, cultural, and humanitarian ties with just about every other. At present, Bangladesh and the US share a detailed partnership, which ranges from trade and safety to local climate and humanitarian motion. The US remains a person of the most critical associates for Bangladesh, while owing to Bangladesh’s strategic place in the Indo-Pacific location, its geopolitical salience for the US is growing. Therefore, it will provide the pursuits of both equally states if they grow their cooperative ties on political, financial, cultural, and humanitarian sectors.
Political Harmony
Bangladesh and the US have so significantly held eight Partnership Dialogues and eight Stability Dialogues, and large-degree contacts involving the political leaderships of the two countries is popular. In phrases of foreign plan, Bangladesh and the US have no elementary clash of interests. On the contrary, Bangladesh has declared its commitment to a absolutely free and open up Indo-Pacific in its Indo-Pacific Outlook, mirroring the US Indo-Pacific Tactic. On the Ukrainian disaster, Bangladesh has adopted a coverage of optimistic neutrality, and it is complying with US sanctions regime. Although there exist a several factors of friction, Dhaka and Washington can pragmatically compartmentalize individuals concerns and deal with them on a situation-by-scenario basis, while continuing their increasing multi-pronged partnership.
On the political front, equally Dhaka and Washington can undertake a selection of steps to deepen their bilateral ties. On its portion, Dhaka should undertake actions to assuage US concerns about the inner political dynamics and labour rights in Bangladesh. On the other hand, the US should really chorus from making use of financial equipment as political weapons in opposition to Dhaka. Rather, the nations around the world need to institutionalize their bilateral ties into a strategic partnership, which would enhance the already present Sino–Bangladeshi and Japanese–Bangladeshi strategic partnerships. What’s more, taking into account Bangladesh’s considerable ties with India and the US, the 3 international locations can build a trilateral dialogue forum for expanding their political ties. Previous but not the least, the two counties should really update their security partnership by maximizing collaboration (specially intelligence-sharing) on counter-terrorism, cyber-security, and combatting transnational crimes, web hosting additional joint armed service workout routines, and facilitating Bangladesh’s acquisition of sophisticated US military services equipment.
Economic Partnership
Bangladesh and the US have concluded the Trade and Investment Cooperation Discussion board Agreement (TICFA) as nicely as a treaty on the avoidance of double taxation. At the moment, the US is the threerd greatest buying and selling husband or wife of Bangladesh. It constitutes the single greatest export marketplace for Bangladesh, absorbing nearly 20% of Bangladeshi exported products. Also, the US is the greatest resource of foreign immediate investment decision (FDI) for Bangladesh, with US FDI in the country amounting to $four.1 billion and 19% of total FDI obtained. Furthermore, the US is the one premier trader in Bangladesh’s power sector. In addition, the US is presently the largest source of remittances for Bangladesh, with sixteen% of the country’s remittances coming from the States. It really should be observed that remittances and the earnings from the export of readymade clothes (RMG) provide as the engine of the Bangladeshi overall economy. Consequently, the US, by virtue of getting the largest supply of remittances and the major export current market for Bangladesh, is a very important economic spouse for Dhaka.
Dhaka and Washington can more progress this multifaceted financial partnership. Bangladesh is projected to be the 9th greatest purchaser market by 2030, and so it will be mutually beneficial for Dhaka and Washington to bolster their financial ties. Attracting FDI is a top priority for Bangladesh, and the nation has accordingly adopted an open and liberal FDI plan. The US can substantially enhance its investments in a quantity of sectors of Bangladeshi economic system, like energy and energy, facts technological innovation (IT), infrastructure, mild engineering and electronics, car industry, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, and ceramics. To consider an illustration, US corporations can invest in the developing IT sector in Bangladesh, and make use of countless numbers of competent Bangladeshi IT staff. This will lower unemployment in Bangladesh and decrease costs for US organizations. Likewise, US companies should really spend much more in other sectors of Bangladesh, and the latter should really make a a lot more favourable chances for the infusion of a lot more US FDI into the state.
What’s more, under the US-led Partnership for World wide Infrastructure and Financial commitment (PGII), the US can invest in the enhancement of substantial-top quality and sustainable infrastructure in Bangladesh. Also, US can provide Bangladesh with technical know-how in discovering the Bay of Bengal for possible hydrocarbon reserves.
Cultural Collaboration
Owing to the relentless push of globalization, the US culture has remaining a major imprint on Bangladesh. This cultural bond is bolstered by the presence of all over 800,000 Bangladeshis on US territory. The US is also the most chosen place for Bangladeshi learners who want to examine overseas, and the country now hosts extra than thirteen,500 Bangladeshi college students.
The two international locations can strengthen the exist cultural collaboration by undertaking more cultural trade courses, arranging cultural fairs and exhibitions, and bolstering people today-to-persons ties. Precisely, Washington really should offer additional Bangladeshi learners to pursue larger reports in the US. On its section, Bangladesh should really meticulously produce its tourism infrastructure to draw in additional US vacationers, and at the very same time, it need to spend more in promoting its society in the US.
Humanitarian Cooperation
Bangladesh is the 3rd biggest receiver of US foreign assist amongst South Asian states. All through the COVID-19 pandemic, the US served Bangladesh in mainly reducing the devastating impacts of the pandemic by offering the latter with extra than a hundred million vaccines free of price. Also, the US is the major supplier of humanitarian support for the extra than one.3 million Rohingya refugees stranded in southeastern Bangladesh.
Having said that, the US possesses the ability to perform a bigger role in working with the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. Around the current many years, the infusion of intercontinental cash for the Rohingyas has drastically diminished, and this has put Bangladesh in a quandary. As the only superpower and the premier financial energy of the world, the US can make elevated diplomatic and fiscal contribution to the Rohingya cause. based mostly on the emphasis that the Biden administration has set on human rights, the US ought to stage up its monetary aid for the Rohingya refugees. But, giving only humanitarian support to the Rohingyas is not a practical extensive-expression solution to this acute challenge. That’s why, taking into consideration the continued political turmoil within just Myanmar, the adoption of the BURMA Act by the US Congress, and the latest intensification of the ongoing civil war in the place, the US can exert larger diplomatic tension on Nay Pyi Taw to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.
In addition, owing to local weather modify, Bangladesh is 1 of the most vulnerable international locations of the entire world. The present-day US administration is a get together to the Paris Settlement and vocally committed to the decarbonization, local climate improve adaptation, and local climate finance. It has also formerly committed to supply Bangladesh with new technologies to mitigate the deleterious results of climate improve on the latter. Consequently, the US need to make excellent on its commitments by accelerating the method of technologies transfer and in accordance economical backing to Bangladesh’s attempts to battle local weather adjust.
In the direction of a Cooperative Lustrum
From a simple point of view, Dhaka and Washington have sizeable chances to expand their partnerships on political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fronts. Upgrading their latest thorough ties into a formal strategic partnership will be mutually beneficial for them. Hence, Bangladesh and the US should collaborate with each and every other on increasing their multifaceted partnership in purchase to establish a better and additional prosperous long term for both equally.
[PhotographbytheM[PhotobytheMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh]
Md. Himel Rahman is a write-up-graduate student of Safety Studies at the Section of Global Relations, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a freelance analyst on worldwide and strategic affairs. His article content have been printed in The Diplomat, the South Asian Voices, The Geopolitics, The Each day Star, the Dhaka Tribune, The Day-to-day Observer, and other platforms. The sights and views expressed in this posting are all those of the author.
