“Bangladesh does not often come to mind when economic issues are discussed, but that is ignoring the progress made in recent years and, above all, the successes achieved by Bangladesh.”
This was what the Elysee Presidential Palace said before the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron in Bangladesh on Sunday.
When he concluded his visit Monday afternoon, President Macron left a lasting impression on the Dhaka, Paris relationship.
It is not just politics and trade. It is more than that.
He enjoyed Bangladeshi folk music in musician Rahul Ananda's private home and took a trip on the Turag river along the capital Dhaka.
He also tasted roadside snacks like “singara”, and raised a toast with local citrus fruit “amra” juice with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Both leaders in their summit meeting gave a “strong impetus” to the bilateral relationship and stated their “common conviction to develop a trusted and meaningful partnership fostering strategic autonomy - in support of global peace and security, resilience and prosperity, and people-centric connectivity.”
“The French president's visit to Dhaka should be seen as a diplomatic milestone which reflects Bangladesh's growing geopolitical and economic interests in European political and economic circles,” Prof Shahab Enam Khan of the international relations department of the Jahangirnagar University told Dhaka Tribune.
Macron’s visit, particularly after his recent trip to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Sri Lanka, was seen as France's push to consolidate its presence in the Indo-Pacific.
The president put forward the idea of “strategic autonomy” and “multi-polar world”, contrary to the common perception in Bangladeshi people that the US and Russia dominate the world in two camps with China growing as an emerging power.
In his speech, he made it clear that “based on democratic principles and the rule of law, in a region facing new imperialism, we want to propose a third way – with no intention to bully our partners or to lead them to an unsustainable scheme.”
In the joint statement, the two leaders stated that “Bangladesh and France regarded sovereignty and strategic autonomy as key principles for a stable, multi-polar world.”
Bangladesh committed to buy 10 A350 aircrafts from Airbus as a long partnership.
Bangladesh also signed a deal to have its first-ever earth observation satellite Bangabandhu-2.
“Emmanuel Macron's visit is a clear testimony of Bangladesh's strategic importance, both as a dependable partner in trade and a stable strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region,” Prof Shahab Enam Khan, also an Indo-Pacific strategy expert, said.
“Bangladesh is actively seeking to transform this bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership that is essential for Bangladesh's long-term national interest. Both countries are willing to cooperate in aviation, defence industries, cyberspace, and technology transfers,” he said.
“President Macron's interest in Bangladesh's culture denotes a four centuries-old historical relationship that should be seen as a strong social connection between these two nations. Moreover, France, being a flagbearer of modern democracy, will be a helpful partner in strengthening Bangladesh's democratic institutions in the coming years.
“As such, both the countries intend to work together to sustain continuity of Bangladesh's growth momentum in the coming years. Overall, this visit has been fruitful and has potential spillover effects on the Bangladesh-European Union relationship,” said the professor.
The two leaders agreed “to work towards taking the Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and People to a strategic level”.
And for that, the two countries committed "to launch regular high-level dialogues to deepen the strategic dimension of their partnership”.