Bangladesh should shape its foreign policy around economic interests rather than geopolitical alignments as global power rivalries increasingly revolve around technology, trade, investment and supply chains, experts said at a policy dialogue on Saturday organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC).
The discussion, titled “Strategic Options in a Polarizing World: What is the Compelling Calculus for Bangladesh?”, brought together diplomats, economists, defence analysts and strategic commentators who argued that Bangladesh’s ability to preserve strategic autonomy will depend less on balancing competing powers than on strengthening its economic resilience and institutional capacity.
PPRC Executive Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman said Bangladesh must move beyond rhetorical geopolitical debates and ground strategic decisions in geoeconomic realities.
He said projects such as the Teesta initiative should be evaluated on their contribution to irrigation, water management and flood control rather than political narratives, and proposed exploring a quadrilateral framework involving Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar to develop a Kyaukphyu-Chattogram transshipment corridor, arguing that economic connectivity could also help stabilise the country’s volatile southeastern border.
Former ambassador Mohammad Sufiur Rahman said China’s technological rise is reshaping the global balance of power. Citing more than 60 per cent of global patent applications in 2024 and three of the world’s five leading innovation hubs located in China, he said technology leadership is increasingly translating into geopolitical influence.
He argued that Bangladesh should evaluate regional infrastructure through a geoeconomic lens, using connectivity projects to expand trade, investment and supply-chain integration while protecting national interests.
Sreeradha Datta said India-Bangladesh relations remain strategically important despite recent political strains and fluctuations in bilateral trade.
“The current state of India-Bangladesh relations is not sustainable for either side’s long-term interests,” she said, urging both countries to rebuild trust through greater people-to-people engagement, improved border mobility and closer attention to mutual security concerns.
Geopolitical consultant Matt Yang said China’s engagement in Myanmar reflects a long-term strategy to diversify energy supply routes through overland pipelines linking Siberia, Kazakhstan and Myanmar, reducing dependence on vulnerable maritime chokepoints.
He said Beijing continues to engage Bangladesh primarily from a geoeconomic perspective while also assessing the country’s strategic capacity and institutional stability.
Retired Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar said Bangladesh should complement diplomacy with stronger defence preparedness, arguing that credible deterrence depends on integrated radar, surveillance and satellite capabilities rather than simply purchasing advanced military hardware.
“We have no territorial ambition, but the perception that Bangladesh can defend itself is what matters most,” he said.
Researcher Altaf Parvez cautioned that regional transport corridors cannot succeed without addressing local security realities.
Drawing on the experiences of the Gwadar and Kaladan corridors, he said connectivity projects often fail when local communities are excluded. Any sustainable corridor through Myanmar, he argued, would require participation from Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Arakan Army, Rohingya representatives, China and the Tatmadaw.
Former ambassador to Japan Abdul Haq said Bangladesh’s overriding priority should be attracting investment while maintaining a balanced foreign policy.
He noted that Japan’s relationship with Bangladesh has evolved from development assistance to investment, financing projects such as the Matarbari Deep Sea Port and Dhaka Metro Rail.
With around 25 lakh people entering the labour market each year, Bangladesh needs sustained foreign investment to create jobs, generate wealth and sustain economic growth, he said.
Sadequl Islam, professor of economics at Laurentian University, warned against concluding major trade agreements during periods of political transition.
He argued that rushed negotiations risk locking Bangladesh into asymmetric trade arrangements, citing the recent US-Bangladesh trade framework as an example of a deal that could undermine the country’s long-term economic interests.
The discussion concluded that Bangladesh’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on converting its strategic location into economic advantage through stronger regional connectivity, policy stability and investment-friendly institutions.
Rather than choosing between rival powers, speakers argued, Bangladesh’s most durable strategic option lies in building economic strength, because in an increasingly polarised world, geoeconomics is becoming the foundation of effective geopolitics.
