On Jan. seventeen, 2024, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas achieved newly appointed Bangladeshi Minister of Overseas Affairs Hasan Mahmud and talked over the troubles of mutual passions, together with climate modify, bilateral commercial ties and the Rohingya disaster. Just ten times in advance of the conference, on Jan. 7, the twelveth basic election in Bangladesh was held, and in its aftermath, the United States had expressed its dedication to the expansion of the partnership between Dhaka and Washington. As a result, it seems that Washington, irrespective of its reservations about the interior political dynamics in Bangladesh, is eager to bolster its partnership with Dhaka.
Due to the fact the US recognition of Bangladesh’s independence on 4 April 1972, Dhaka and Washington have shared robust political, financial, stability, cultural, and humanitarian ties with every other. At present, Bangladesh and the US share a in depth partnership, which ranges from trade and security to local weather and humanitarian motion. The US stays one of the most critical associates for Bangladesh, while owing to Bangladesh’s strategic location in the Indo-Pacific region, its geopolitical salience for the US is increasing. That’s why, it will provide the passions of equally states if they extend their cooperative ties on political, financial, cultural, and humanitarian sectors.
Political Harmony
Bangladesh and the US have so much held eight Partnership Dialogues and 8 Stability Dialogues, and large-amount contacts involving the political leaderships of the two countries is frequent. In conditions of overseas plan, Bangladesh and the US have no fundamental clash of interests. On the contrary, Bangladesh has declared its determination to a free of charge and open Indo-Pacific in its Indo-Pacific Outlook, mirroring the US Indo-Pacific Method. On the Ukrainian disaster, Bangladesh has adopted a plan of beneficial neutrality, and it is complying with US sanctions routine. While there exist a number of factors of friction, Dhaka and Washington can pragmatically compartmentalize individuals difficulties and tackle them on a circumstance-by-case basis, while continuing their increasing multi-pronged partnership.
On the political front, each Dhaka and Washington can undertake a amount of steps to deepen their bilateral ties. On its aspect, Dhaka should really undertake steps to assuage US problems about the inside political dynamics and labour legal rights in Bangladesh. On the other hand, the US should really refrain from working with economic instruments as political weapons versus Dhaka. As an alternative, the nations around the world need to institutionalize their bilateral ties into a strategic partnership, which would complement the now existing Sino–Bangladeshi and Japanese–Bangladeshi strategic partnerships. Additionally, having into account Bangladesh’s substantial ties with India and the US, the three countries can produce a trilateral dialogue discussion board for growing their political ties. Last but not the least, the two counties ought to upgrade their safety partnership by improving collaboration (specially intelligence-sharing) on counter-terrorism, cyber-stability, and combatting transnational crimes, internet hosting a lot more joint armed service exercises, and facilitating Bangladesh’s acquisition of sophisticated US armed forces gear.
Financial Partnership
Bangladesh and the US have concluded the Trade and Investment decision Cooperation Forum Arrangement (TICFA) as very well as a treaty on the avoidance of double taxation. At this time, the US is the threerd major trading lover of Bangladesh. It constitutes the single premier export sector for Bangladesh, absorbing nearly twenty% of Bangladeshi exported products. Also, the US is the biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for Bangladesh, with US FDI in the country amounting to $four.1 billion and 19% of overall FDI obtained. In addition, the US is the solitary major investor in Bangladesh’s electricity sector. In addition, the US is at this time the greatest source of remittances for Bangladesh, with sixteen% of the country’s remittances coming from the States. It should be pointed out that remittances and the earnings from the export of readymade clothes (RMG) serve as the motor of the Bangladeshi financial system. As a result, the US, by virtue of currently being the largest source of remittances and the major export current market for Bangladesh, is a crucial economic companion for Dhaka.
Dhaka and Washington can more progress this multifaceted economic partnership. Bangladesh is projected to be the nineth major customer market by 2030, and so it will be mutually advantageous for Dhaka and Washington to bolster their economic ties. Attracting FDI is a top rated precedence for Bangladesh, and the nation has accordingly adopted an open and liberal FDI plan. The US can significantly greatly enhance its investments in a amount of sectors of Bangladeshi overall economy, which include electricity and electrical power, information technological innovation (IT), infrastructure, gentle engineering and electronics, auto sector, agro-processing, prescribed drugs, and ceramics. To consider an illustration, US businesses can commit in the developing IT sector in Bangladesh, and use 1000’s of experienced Bangladeshi IT personnel. This will decrease unemployment in Bangladesh and lessen fees for US organizations. Equally, US organizations need to spend far more in other sectors of Bangladesh, and the latter should really develop a much more favourable options for the infusion of additional US FDI into the nation.
Also, below the US-led Partnership for World wide Infrastructure and Financial commitment (PGII), the US can commit in the growth of superior-top quality and sustainable infrastructure in Bangladesh. Also, US can give Bangladesh with technical know-how in checking out the Bay of Bengal for possible hydrocarbon reserves.
Cultural Collaboration
Owing to the relentless drive of globalization, the US society has remaining a considerable imprint on Bangladesh. This cultural bond is bolstered by the presence of all-around 800,000 Bangladeshis on US territory. The US is also the most most well-liked desired destination for Bangladeshi pupils who want to study overseas, and the state at the moment hosts far more than thirteen,500 Bangladeshi students.
The two nations can fortify the exist cultural collaboration by endeavor a lot more cultural exchange applications, arranging cultural fairs and exhibitions, and bolstering persons-to-persons ties. Exclusively, Washington ought to give additional Bangladeshi learners to pursue larger research in the US. On its component, Bangladesh really should thoroughly acquire its tourism infrastructure to appeal to far more US travellers, and at the similar time, it really should invest a lot more in advertising its tradition in the US.
Humanitarian Cooperation
Bangladesh is the threerd biggest receiver of US international assist among the South Asian states. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US assisted Bangladesh in largely reducing the devastating impacts of the pandemic by delivering the latter with a lot more than 100 million vaccines free of price tag. Also, the US is the top supplier of humanitarian aid for the more than 1.three million Rohingya refugees stranded in southeastern Bangladesh.
Even so, the US possesses the functionality to perform a better purpose in dealing with the Rohingya humanitarian disaster. Around the current years, the infusion of international money for the Rohingyas has appreciably lessened, and this has placed Bangladesh in a quandary. As the only superpower and the most significant financial power of the earth, the US can make improved diplomatic and monetary contribution to the Rohingya cause. dependent on the emphasis that the Biden administration has place on human rights, the US must phase up its fiscal help for the Rohingya refugees. However, delivering only humanitarian support to the Rohingyas is not a practical long-term answer to this acute challenge. Consequently, having into consideration the ongoing 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 region, the US can exert bigger diplomatic pressure on Nay Pyi Taw to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.
Additionally, owing to local weather adjust, Bangladesh is a person of the most vulnerable international locations of the entire world. The recent US administration is a party to the Paris Arrangement and vocally fully commited to the decarbonization, weather alter adaptation, and local climate finance. It has also previously dedicated to give Bangladesh with new systems to mitigate the deleterious outcomes of local weather modify on the latter. Therefore, the US should really make excellent on its commitments by accelerating the procedure of engineering transfer and according economic backing to Bangladesh’s endeavours to overcome weather improve.
Toward a Cooperative Lustrum
From a realistic viewpoint, Dhaka and Washington have considerable chances to develop their partnerships on political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fronts. Upgrading their latest thorough ties into a official strategic partnership will be mutually useful for them. Thus, Bangladesh and the US really should collaborate with each other on expanding their multifaceted partnership in get to construct a better and additional prosperous long term for the two.
[PhotobytheM[PhotobytheMinistry of Overseas Affairs, Bangladesh]
Md. Himel Rahman is a write-up-graduate college student of Stability Studies at the Department of Intercontinental Relations, College of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a freelance analyst on global and strategic affairs. His article content have been released in The Diplomat, the South Asian Voices, The Geopolitics, The Day by day Star, the Dhaka Tribune, The Every day Observer, and other platforms. The sights and thoughts expressed in this short article are these of the writer.
