Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organized a seminar on 24 January 2023 titled “Strengthening Bangladesh’s Foreign Relations with Neighbours in the Evolving Global Order.” H E Mr Md Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended as Chief Guest. Key speakers included Dr Lailufar Yasmin, Mr A T M Rokebul Haque, Dr Mahfuz Kabir, and Mr M Ashique Rahman, who discussed Bangladesh’s foreign policy, regional cooperation, and strategies to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations. The seminar highlighted enhancing trade, connectivity, humanitarian assistance, and people-to-people ties for regional stability and shared prosperity. Officials, diplomats, researchers, and academics participated in discussions, contributing insights on navigating Bangladesh’s foreign relations in a changing global order.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised a Seminar on ‘Strengthening Bangladesh’s Foreign Relations with Neighbours in the Evolving Global Order’ on 24 January 2023. H E Mr Md Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Ambassador M Humayun Kabir, President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), chaired the session and Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, OSP, SGP, BAMS, afwc, psc, Director General, BIISS, delivered the welcome address.
Dr Lailufar Yasmin, Professor and Chairperson, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, presented on “Navigating Bangladesh’s Foreign Relations with the Neighbours in the Evolving Global Order.” Mr A T M Rokebul Haque, Director General (South Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered his presentation on “Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy Towards Her Neighbours: Friendship with Shared Prosperity.” Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director, BIISS, made his presentation on “Exploring New Avenues of Cooperation with the Neighbours.” Finally, Mr M Ashique Rahman, Senior Research Fellow, BIISS, presented on “Sustaining Bangladesh’s Relations in the Extended Neighbourhood.”
In his welcome address, Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, OSP, SGP, BAMS, afwc, psc, highlighted the re-emergence of Asia in the current global context. He emphasised on strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations with both close-door neighbours and extended neighbours and promoting multilateralism to find peaceful and sustainable solutions to regional problems. Chair of the session Ambassador M Humayun Kabir, President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) noted that in the changing global order, countries around the world are struggling to formulate their foreign policies with neighbours and Bangladesh must navigate through this cautiously. Chief Guest of the Seminar, H E Mr Md Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasised on strengthening bilateral relations with neighbours through promoting partnership and cooperation, increasing trade and commerce, pursuing cooperation in the water and power sector, enhancing connectivity, collaborating on capacity building for people-to-people contact and underscored the importance of humanitarian assistance to demonstrate soft power. He mentioned that the Bangladesh government is persistently working to consolidate relations with neighbours for regional stability, shared prosperity, and mutual development. Senior officials from different ministries, ambassadors, high commissioners, former diplomats, senior military officials, researchers, business people, teachers, students from various universities, representatives from different think tanks, international organisations, and media personalities participated in the programme and enriched it by expressing their valuable remarks during the open discussion session.