Country must avoid choosing between global partners

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon yesterday said any approach forcing Bangladesh to choose between key international partners would be detrimental to national interests.

“Any policy that compels us to choose one side over another would be harmful to the country’s long-term interests,” the minister said.

Bangladesh must pursue a foreign policy that integrates all major internal and external dimensions, he said while presiding over a discussion and a newspaper exhibition organised at the PIB auditorium marking the 45th death anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.

Swapon said Bangladesh’s economic and strategic interests are deeply interconnected with multiple global partners and regions.

He said the country relies significantly on China and India for imports, while the US and European countries remain the primary destinations for Bangladesh’s RMG exports.

Remittances largely originate from the Middle East while Bangladesh depends on foreign energy sources and international cooperation to ensure energy security, he added.

“In such a reality, the government must carefully manage these interdependencies through a balanced and pragmatic foreign policy,” he said.