BOOK REVIEW: FOREIGN POLICY OF BANGLADESH; A SMALL STATE'S IMPERATIVE, EMAJUDDIN AHAMED (ED)

This comprehensive book review critically examines Emajuddin Ahamed's edited volume "Foreign Policy of Bangladesh: A Small State's Imperative," analyzing its contributions to understanding Bangladesh's international relations during its first decade of independence. The review assesses the theoretical framework, methodological approaches, and empirical analysis presented in this seminal work on Bangladesh foreign policy. The analysis examines how the book interprets Bangladesh's navigation of complex international environments as a small state with limited resources but significant strategic importance. The article evaluates the treatment of key foreign policy relationships, including with India, major powers, Islamic countries, and international organizations. The review also assesses the book's analysis of the domestic sources of foreign policy and the institutional mechanisms for foreign policy formulation and implementation. Furthermore, the analysis situates the book within broader scholarship on small state foreign policy and identifies its significance for understanding Bangladesh's international positioning.

Emajuddin Ahamed's edited volume represented one of the first comprehensive academic studies of Bangladesh's foreign policy, with this review providing a critical examination of its contributions to understanding how a small state navigates complex international environments. The review begins by situating the book within the broader literature on small state foreign policy, analyzing how it compares with studies of other small and middle powers in the international system. The analysis examines the theoretical framework employed in the book, assessing how concepts from small states studies, including vulnerability, opportunity, and strategic alignment, illuminate Bangladesh's foreign policy choices. The review evaluates the methodological approach, analyzing how the combination of historical analysis, policy assessment, and theoretical reflection contributes to understanding Bangladesh's international relations. The article assesses the book's treatment of key bilateral relationships, including the complex relationship with India, strategic engagement with major powers, economic partnerships with Western countries, and solidarity relations with Islamic and non-aligned countries. Based on the comprehensive assessment, the review identifies the book's major contributions to understanding Bangladesh's foreign policy and suggests areas for further research as the country's international role continues to evolve. The analysis contributes to academic discourse by providing a systematic evaluation of how one of the first comprehensive studies of Bangladesh's foreign policy interpreted the nation's international strategy during its formative years.