Asia and Oceania

Bangladesh
Last reviewed: 22 July 2009

Country information

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Bangladesh's Relations with its Neighbours

The relationship with India is of great importance to Bangladesh for geographical and historical reasons. Despite the Indian role in securing Bangladesh’s independence the relationship has often been troubled. One of the biggest issues is security; the Indians claim that Indian separatists are present in Bangladesh. Other difficult issues are water-sharing, (more than 50 of Bangladesh's rivers cross the border), illegal immigration and transit rights. Bangladesh and India are both members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Bangladesh and India have spoken of establishing a Free Trade Area, but there has been little progress on this so far.

Bangladesh's Relations with the International Community

Bangladesh is a member of the Commonwealth, the UN, SAARC and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). Bangladesh is a major troop contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and currently has more than 6,000 troops deployed in UN missions.

Bangladesh relations with the UK

The relations between the UK and Bangladesh are wide-ranging. There have been a number of high profile visits between the countries.

In 2008, the Foreign Secretary, the then Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, visited Bangladesh on 9 April, meeting Chief Adviser Fakhruddin, and the Home and Foreign Advisers. The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband visited on 8-9 February 2008. He met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Choudhury, senior government officials, and civil society representatives. The Secretary of State for International Development (DfID), Douglas Alexander visited from 18-19 December 2007. He saw areas affected by cyclone Sidr, where UK funding is supporting rehabilitation and met the Foreign and Finance Advisers.

Previous Prime Ministerial visits were by Prime Minister Blair and Mrs Blair in January 2002, and John Major in 1997. The Prince of Wales visited in February 1997, and the Princess Royal in November 2000.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin visited the UK in March 2008. He met the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for International Development (DFID). Then Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Choudhury met the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband in London in September 2007. Earlier in April 2007 he met with Margaret Beckett, the then Foreign Secretary.

In October 2003, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) held its annual plenary conference in Dhaka attended by a delegation of British MPs and members of the House representing the UK branch of the CPA.

The relationship has also been shaped by the approx 500,000 (2001 Census) people of Bangladeshi origin in the UK (mostly from the Sylhet region) who help to keep the ties between the two countries strong. Anwar Choudhury’s (who is of Bangladeshi origin) appointment as the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh in May 2004 further highlighted this connection.

UK Development Assistance

The UK’s long-term goal is for Bangladesh to be a stable, prosperous and moderate democracy, playing a positive role in the global community. Our objectives are to embed democratic values; enable prosperity for all; and engender stability. The UK’s development programme is a significant part of the UK’s relationship with Bangladesh. Over the past three years we have spent over £350 million, and helped to:

lift more than half a million people out of extreme poverty
raise more than 20,000 flood prone homesteads on Char islands above 1988 flood levels
construct 14,000 new classrooms, and recruit 12,000 new teachers
provide basic education to 4.5 million children, through a non government programme
ensure 14 million urban dwellers have access to basic health services
enable more than 100,000 farmers gain improved access to markets.

The UK remains fully committed to working with the Government and people of Bangladesh to support their economic, social and political reform ambitions. We will do this by helping to:

build better governance
reduce extreme poverty and vulnerability to climate change, and eliminate seasonal hunger
increase jobs and incomes through private sector development; and
improve the availability and quality of basic health, education and water and sanitation services for the poor.