The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) estimates that Bangladesh’s expanding garment industry needs close to 9 million bales of cotton. Less than 2% of them can be supplied locally, forcing Bangladesh to purchase 8.5 million cotton bales at a cost of around $3 billion.
Read moreCategory: Indo-Pacific regions
News and analyses of events in the Indo-Pacific region
BRICS can enable Bangladesh to explore greater business and geopolitical opportunities
Closer collaboration with BRICS under BRICS+ mechanism will open doors for Bangladesh to explore new markets and help to bridge the gap between two regional rivals China and India for its own benefits. India’s motivation for remaining in BRICS is not to support China’s global dominance. New Delhi believes it is more advantageous to stay in the BRICS alliance in order to restrain Chinese expansionism by securing multilateral agreements with Beijing. It will also embolden to skirt Western sanctions when it comes to do trading with Russia.
Read moreDhaka creates an enabling environment for its Big Neighbours
China’s multifaceted participation in Bangladesh is now a simple reality, and any attempt by India to challenge it will be ineffective. In Bangladesh, meaningful engagement with China will be critical for India’s security and regional stability in the northeastern states. Despite Western criticism of Bangladesh’s 2018 elections, China and India backed the current Dhaka administration.
Read moreHow the world obsessed with Ukraine forgot the Rohingyas
Long-term uncertainty about repatriation may incentivize Rohingya refugees to commit crimes. As a result of the extended ambiguity surrounding their repatriation, many Rohingya are becoming frustrated. Human trafficking, prostitution, and illegal drug trade will become victims of the Rohingya when they realize there is little support for them. As a result, the entire region’s equilibrium may be jeopardized.
Read moreDelicate balance in a critical time: careful steps with regional sync will favor Bangladesh
The Ukraine-Russia military conflict has brazenly pitted the West against Russia, and a new Cold War like situation will impose new challenges for Bangladesh. Bangladeshi imports from Russia include cereals, minerals, chemical products, plastic products, metal, machinery and mechanical equipment.
Read moreTime for Dhaka to boldly exert its soft power on Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation
Since the military coup in Myanmar in February, an umbrella opposition organisation called the National Unity Government has emerged, attempting to bring together Burmese and non-Burmese civilians in a formal challenge to the coup. This organization would be easily recognized as Myanmar’s legitimate government, save for one thing: it now lacks any representation from the…
Read moreWith the Covid-19 vaccine, Bangladesh is reversing course to begin soft power diplomacy
The sourcing of Covid-19 vaccine has pushed Bangladesh into a place of tight diplomatic manoeuvre, where the vaccine has become an insignia of different poles. Vaccines have emerged as the new emblem of soft war on the global stage, which is witnessing the emergence of newly defined paradigms and a colder war. The race for…
Read moreTo avoid being caught in the crossfire of the Titans, Bangladesh should develop a Bay of Bengal strategy
On 10 May 2021, Li Jiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, spoke at a virtual event with representatives of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB). While speaking about the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and China, the Chinese Ambassador said that Bangladesh should not join the “Quad,” a US-led initiative and that joining it would…
Read moreFinding itself in the middle of a hammer and an anvil, Taiwan waits for an impact
Changes in geopolitical power dynamics and growing unease in Washington because of a rising China is once again pushing the world into another cold war. Amidst the rising Sino-US rivalry, Taiwan finds itself in the middle of a Cold war-style superpower confrontation. China is ramping up its diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan in its…
Read morePakistani military should revise its protracted war in Balochistan
The 5th and the latest wave of insurgency struck Balochistan in the post-2006 period. General Pervez Musharraf’s crackbrained and impulsive killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti instigated the once peaceful province, eventually turning it into a no-go area. In fact, Musharraf was responsible for transfiguring Bugti into a living legend. Since then Musharraf’s successors have continued…
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