Bangladesh on a New Journey : Moving Beyond the Regional Identity

This volume contributes to understanding Bangladesh's growth story, as it celebrates 50 years of independence. The fastest growing South Asian state is being recognised as an important partner and model case study with increasing global relevance by world powers. Sreeradha Datta reviews many of its critical bilateral relationships, as well as its expanding influence in the region and world beyond, enabling an understanding of how Bangladesh's growth trajectory complements and informs its foreign policy aims. The volume has a mixture of thematic and bilateral chapters, and includes the active Bangladeshi diaspora population and its influence on the country's unfolding narrative. Datta features the viewpoints of key Bangladeshi policy makers; expert takes on how the world is engaging with Bangladesh; and covers the growing salience of Bangladesh's foreign policy, reflecting its new acquired economic status. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD Prologue Introduction Part I INTRODUCTION 1 THE MAKING OF THE BANGLADESH DOCTRINE: STRATEGIC AUTONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT DETERRENCE 2 NATION BUILDING, RELIGION AND FOREIGN POLICY IN BANGLADESH 3 CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY OF THE BANGLADESHI DIASPORA IN THE UK AND THE US 4 BANGLADESH’S DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE Part II INTRODUCTION 5 BANGLADESH AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD: A STORY OF EXPLORING CONVERGENCES, CONNECTIVITY AND CONTINUITY 6 SMALLER STATES IN A MULTIPOLAR ASIA: THE CASE OF BANGLADESH 7 FROM THE BAY OF BENGAL TO THE INDO-PACIFIC: EXTRA-REGIONAL POWERS VYING FOR BANGLADESH’S ATTENTION 8 THE EVOLVING DYNAMICS IN BANGLADESH AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN RELATIONS: A LONG ROAD OF CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Part III INTRODUCTION 9 BANGLADESH AND INDIA: AN EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP 10 CHINA–BANGLADESH RELATIONS: REVIEW AND PROSPECTS 11 BANGLADESH–PAKISTAN RELATIONS: OLD AND NEW DIMENSIONS 12 BANGLADESH–US BILATERAL RELATIONS 13 BANGLADESH: AUSTRALIA’S BLIND SPOT Epilogue THE ROAD AHEAD FOR BANGLADESH— PROSPECTS TO EMERGE AS THE ‘NEXT FRONTIER’ OF ASIA ABOUT THE EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTORS INDEX