Bangladesh-France ties on the right track

We are delighted to see the increased prospect of trade and connectivity between Bangladesh and France following the two-day visit of French President Emmanuel Macron. This is the first visit by a French president to Dhaka in 33 years, which perhaps demonstrates the growing importance of Bangladesh in the region. We also recall with gratitude the French support for the people of Bangladesh during our Liberation War in 1971. Against this backdrop, the positivity expressed on both sides in Dhaka promises to usher in a new era of partnership based on mutual trust and interest. And although it is yet to reach the level of a "strategic" one, both sought to advance it by signing two bilateral instruments to enhance cooperation in different fields including infrastructure and satellite.

The Bangladesh government, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said while welcoming her French counterpart, sees Macron's "push for strategic autonomy" to be in alignment with our own foreign policy. Later, she again noted his support for "Bangladesh's sovereign policy independence". It cannot be denied that any strategy of non-interference at this particular time, especially on democratic issues, comes with a caveat for political observers as Bangladesh prepares for its next parliamentary election in five months. But having strategic autonomy strengthens our position as Bangladesh tries to navigate through an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, with regional powers and the Western world, including France, focusing more on South Asia to advance their Indo-Pacific visions.

Geopolitical strategies are fraught with competing interests. But there are dividends to be reaped by strategic cooperation in areas of mutual interest. On Monday, Bangladesh and France signed two bilateral agreements in further acknowledgement of the potential of their ties. Among them was a credit facility agreement between Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the France Development Agency (AFD) on "Improving Urban Governance and Infrastructure Program". The other one was a Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation between Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, France related to the Bangabandhu-2 Earth Observation Satellite System. A number of vital areas of cooperation were also discussed during bilateral talks, including climate change financing, energy, security, etc. According to a report quoting the residence of the French president, the country has big plans for investments in strategic projects in Bangladesh, including nuclear power, hydropower, and aeronautics.

It is because of such collaboration that total trade between the two countries soared from €210m in 1990 to €4.9b in 2023, with France being Bangladesh's 5th largest export destination. Evidently, the possibilities are endless if both countries, especially Bangladesh, continue to explore and engage in mutually beneficial projects. We hope this spirit of collaboration will keep on enriching both of our nations.