Bangladesh’s commercial engagement with the United States has expanded significantly following the signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). Biman Bangladesh Airlines has placed orders for 25 Boeing aircraft this year – 14 in April and another 11 announced in New York on Wednesday.
Bangladesh has also committed to facilitating US energy purchases, including long-term LNG offtake agreements estimated at $15 billion over 15 years, as well as imports of US agricultural products such as wheat, soy, soy products and cotton.
These are substantial commercial commitments. The question is whether Bangladesh can bring them together within a broader negotiating strategy with Washington and secure wider benefits for the country.
The bilateral relationship is increasingly shaped by the ART, which creates commitments for both sides. Given the asymmetric nature of the relationship, it could be an asymmetrically balanced one. Bangladesh needs to strengthen its negotiating capacity and better coordinate its commercial and diplomatic interests.
At present, different institutions handle different components of the relationship. Civil aviation oversees aircraft purchases, the energy ministry handles LNG imports, while other agencies manage agricultural and other transactions. These engagements should also be viewed collectively as part of the broader Bangladesh-US commercial relationship.
A central mechanism should therefore assess the relationship as a whole and identify Bangladesh’s political and commercial leverage. This would enable Dhaka to approach Washington with clearer priorities and seek reciprocal benefits across areas of importance to Bangladesh.
The objective should not be to politicise commercial transactions or compromise economic considerations. Rather, Bangladesh should ensure that the cumulative value of its engagement with the United States is reflected in the broader bilateral relationship.
As Bangladesh’s purchases from the United States grow, effective coordination will become increasingly important. A coherent strategy can help Dhaka make better use of its commercial weight while pursuing a more balanced and mutually beneficial relationship with Washington.
The author is a former ambassador.
