Bangladesh will engage with foreign partners in ways that deliver tangible benefits rather than symbolic gains, said Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.
He made the remarks on Saturday at the inaugural session of “Bay of Bengal Conversation 2025,” organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at a local hotel.
Touhid Hossain emphasised that Bangladesh will maintain balanced relations with all major and middle powers, guided strictly by national interest, sovereign equality, and mutual respect.
“We will engage robustly, speak firmly when needed, and partner productively—always with an eye on national interest and regional stability,” he said.
He noted that the Bay of Bengal region is emerging as a “strategic fulcrum”, and Bangladesh intends to be a confident actor, not a passive corridor.
The Rohingya crisis, he said, has placed immense pressure on the country’s security, economy, and environment.
“We have opened our doors to hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar, we have contributed to UN peace missions, and we know how quickly humanitarian crises can escalate,” he added.
He also stressed that stability is not just a regional concern but a global imperative, urging the need to build effective multilateral and regional institutions that deliver concrete results.
The adviser warned that information has become a powerful tool, reshaping diplomacy, democracy, and governance.
“AI, deepfakes, orchestrated misinformation and disinformation, surveillance—all are transforming the global landscape,” he said.
Bangladesh, he added, is prepared to engage with these challenges by protecting its information space and promoting regulatory frameworks that safeguard both security and fundamental rights.
Foreign Adviser Touhid also addressed the shifting global economic landscape, marked by fragmented supply chains, expanding sanction regimes, and heightened focus on de-risking.
For Bangladesh, he said, this requires diversifying economic partners, deepening regional cooperation, and strengthening connectivity. He stressed the importance of ensuring that economic partnerships remain mutually beneficial rather than predatory.
“We must harness the boundless potential of the Bay of Bengal and turn it into a corridor of growth and prosperity,” he added.
