Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and Bilateral Relations
Core doctrine
Bangladesh's foreign policy is constitutionally anchored in Article 25: respect for sovereignty and non-interference, peaceful settlement of disputes, and support for oppressed peoples. The guiding maxim is "friendship to all, malice to none", associated with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, plus "Look East" diversification and economic diplomacy. Key determinants: geography (India's encircling position, Bay of Bengal access), export dependence on garments, remittance flows, labour migration, climate vulnerability, and the Rohingya crisis.
Bilateral architecture
India: land boundary and enclave exchange (2015), maritime delimitation (2014 arbitration), water-sharing disputes (Farakka/Ganges, Teesta pending), connectivity and transit, border killings, trade imbalance. China: Belt and Road projects, port development, defence procurement, balancing act with India. Myanmar: Rohingya repatriation and border security. Pakistan: 1971 legacy and apology question. Major partners: Japan, US (labour, trade, human rights conditionality), EU (GSP/EBA preferences), Gulf states (labour markets), and multilateral arenas (UN peacekeeping, climate advocacy, the Climate Vulnerable Forum).
Traps
Do not confuse Article 25 with Article 145 (treaty ratification) or with the 1972 constitution's original fundamental principles. Questions often misdate the maritime award (2014, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Bay of Bengal) or the land boundary agreement (ratified 2015). Avoid claiming Bangladesh is non-aligned in a rigid Cold War sense; it practises issue-based balancing and multi-alignment.
Rule of thumb
For any bilateral question, apply the four-part frame: historical legacy, asymmetry, economic stake, and multilateral spillover. That structure earns marks even when facts are thin.