One of the key components for any nation seeking further progress is regional cooperation, which has the potential to create win-win situations for not only the benefit of the region overall, but individual nations as well.
Especially for a country like Bangladesh, which is doing so much to ensure sustainable development and achieve middle-income status, it is imperative that government policy reflects our willingness to work with our neighbours.
There is no denying that, in this regard, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has put Bangladesh on the map, for example by improving bilateral ties with close neighbours such as India, through the construction of railroads.
While steps such as these, amongst many others, have no doubt improved our nation’s overall standing in the region, there is also more we can do.
At a recent seminar, experts touted the immense potential of cooperation between India and Bangladesh when it comes to power and energy -- something which has yet to be tapped into due to a lack of collaboration and teamwork between our two nations.
Considering the ambitions we have as a nation, as one of the largest emerging economies in the world, we cannot afford to have any negative attitudes at the political and bureaucratic levels.
On the other hand, regional cooperation can not only benefit our economy, but also every sector crucial to our continued development, such as health, education, and security.
What both parties need to understand is that, when it comes to the development of a nation, working with regional powers and sharing each other’s resources allow us to become stronger as individual countries.
Moving forward, let us work together to ensure that these relationships are nurtured for our mutual benefit.