GLOBALIZATION AND BANGLADESH'S SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICIES

This article examines the multifaceted impact of globalization on the security and foreign policies of Bangladesh. It argues that globalization, understood as a process of deepening global interconnectedness, has profoundly reshaped the challenges and opportunities facing the country. The study analyzes the impact of economic globalization, particularly the pressures for trade liberalization and the increased mobility of capital, and its consequences for Bangladesh's economic sovereignty and development strategies. The research then explores the security implications, focusing on the rise of transnational security threats, such as terrorism, environmental degradation, and pandemics, which cannot be addressed by the state alone. The paper also discusses the impact of cultural globalization and the information revolution on Bangladeshi society and politics. The analysis concludes that globalization has created a more complex and demanding environment for Bangladesh's policymakers, requiring a foreign policy that is more agile, economically-focused, and adept at multilateral diplomacy.

Globalization has been one of the most powerful and transformative forces of the late 20th century. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of its impact on the security and foreign policies of a developing country like Bangladesh. The study is structured around the different dimensions of globalization. The first section examines economic globalization. It analyzes how the integration into the global market, particularly through the RMG export industry, has been the primary driver of Bangladesh's economic growth. However, it also explores the vulnerabilities created by this integration, such as the exposure to global economic shocks and the policy constraints imposed by international financial institutions and the WTO. The second section focuses on the security implications. The paper argues that globalization has led to a "widening" of the security agenda. It moves beyond traditional military threats to analyze a range of transnational security challenges that directly affect Bangladesh, from the trafficking of drugs and small arms to the cross-border spread of diseases and the existential threat of global climate change. The third section discusses political and cultural globalization. It explores how the global spread of ideas about democracy and human rights has influenced domestic politics, and how the information revolution has connected Bangladesh to the world in unprecedented ways. The findings suggest that globalization is a double-edged sword for Bangladesh, offering immense opportunities for economic growth while also creating new vulnerabilities and complex policy challenges. The paper concludes that navigating this new globalized world requires a sophisticated and proactive foreign policy.