Bangladesh has pursued a balanced and pragmatic foreign policy over the past year, prioritising national interest and reciprocity, maintaining constructive engagement with all major global and regional players, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has said.
“As a whole, we believe that over the past year, we have tried to establish a balanced relationship with all countries, keeping Bangladesh’s interests at the forefront... how successful we have been will be judged by the people, by civil society,” the adviser told BSS in an interview recently.
The “balanced diplomacy”, he said, has been central to Bangladesh’s foreign policy success over the years and continued to guide the interim government’s international strategy.
Touhid said the incumbent administration is taking a “Bangladesh-centric” approach, grounded in enlightened self-interest and added: “If we give something to India, I will expect that we will be able to get from India what we need, either in equal measure or even more."
“This (approach) applies not only to India but to all countries,” he said.
Yunus's image in diplomacy
The adviser said Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus’s international acceptability has appeared as “one of the assets" of this government, while his reputation has often opened doors and influenced outcomes that might otherwise have been difficult to achieve through conventional diplomatic channels.
He recalled that one phone call by Yunus helped secure the pardon of many Bangladeshis in UAE prisons.
“It happened because Muhammad Yunus requested it... I consider this a significant asset for us, and we are using that,” Touhid said.
He noted that Yunus’s legacy as a Nobel laureate and his lifelong work in poverty alleviation and social business continues to resonate globally, giving Bangladesh a unique diplomatic advantage.
“The respect he commands is not limited to political circles; it extends across governments, civil society, business leaders, and multilateral platforms,” Touhid said, adding that Bangladesh is using such “soft power” strategically in its foreign policy pursuits.
Relations with India
Touhid said that while the previous ousted Awami League regime had close ties with New Delhi, the current interim government is also pursuing to maintain a strong working relationship with India, though certain irritants remain.
“We have tried to create a certain kind of balance... we are trying, and we believe we will be able to build a balanced relationship based on good working relations, reciprocity, and mutual respect,” he said.
The adviser said that despite recent challenges in bilateral relations like trade bottlenecks and unresolved land port issues, trade between Bangladesh and India remains ongoing.
Touhid, however, noted a noticeable decline in two specific trends -- cross-border shopping trips and travel to India for tourism and medical purposes.
"I do not consider this a setback for Bangladesh," as the fall in consumer travel had little impact on the economy, he said.
As far as medical tourism is concerned, the adviser said that previously people used to travel to India for treatment, but many of them now prefer alternative destinations like China and Thailand, particularly for specialised services that are yet to be available in Bangladesh.
“In the past, many went to India even for minor treatments, which was unnecessary,” he said.
Touhid added that with reduced travel to India, specialised hospitals in Bangladesh have witnessed a rise in patient occupancy, a scenario which he described as a positive development for the country’s healthcare sector.
Stronger protest against border killing, push-ins
The adviser said that Bangladesh, in recent months, has made its voice louder against the killing of its nationals on the border with India by their Border Security Force (BSF), issuing clear and unequivocal condemnations of such incidents.
He said that over the past year, protest notes sent to New Delhi over the killings were stronger than those of the previous regime, reflecting Dhaka’s firmer diplomatic stance.
Touhid said the government has also urged India to prevent the recurrence of such “heinous acts," and called for thorough investigations into all related incidents and demanded that the perpetrators be identified and brought to justice through appropriate legal measures.
“Nowhere in the world are people shot dead at borders with lethal weapons. India comes up with various excuses at different times, but none of them are acceptable. We have repeatedly told India that this is unacceptable,” he said.
The adviser added that Bangladesh will continue to protest border killings strongly.
Touhid said irregular “push-ins” across the border involving not just Bangladeshis but also Indian Bangla-speaking citizens have raised concerns in Dhaka, and “even the chief minister of West Bengal (of India) has expressed her disappointment over the issue."
“This proves that the method is not correct,” he said.
The adviser said Dhaka by now has told India that “there is a mechanism in place” for the returning people and “we have been returning individuals following that mechanism”.
“It is not like we are not doing our part; we are. But these kinds of irregular push-ins are not appropriate, and we want them to stop. We are also protesting this,” said the adviser.
Normalizing relations with Pakistan
Touhid said Dhaka has made efforts to normalise its relations with Pakistan in the past year.
These efforts, he said, include increased diplomatic communication, economic cooperation, and even the removal of visa requirements for Pakistani citizens.
He, however, dismissed speculations that Bangladesh is shifting its foreign policy stance in favour of Pakistan, asserting that the government’s recent engagements with Islamabad are aimed at normalising diplomatic ties in a way that will safeguard Bangladesh’s national interest.
“Some say we are tilting towards Pakistan. . . but we are certainly not tilting; what we are doing is trying to establish a normal relationship with Pakistan that will protect our interests,” he said.
According to the adviser, such diplomatic efforts are part of broader efforts to maintain balanced foreign relations.
He explained that relations with Pakistan were kept “intentionally on the back burner” under the last regime, which was “unnecessary”.
Relations with China
The foreign adviser said the bilateral partnership with Beijing has remained stable and consistent during the eras of successive governments since the formal establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975.
“Many governments were changed in Bangladesh, but our relationship with China has never deteriorated,” he said, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of the bilateral engagement between Dhaka and Beijing.
The adviser dismissed concerns raised in some quarters about Bangladesh growing “too close” to China, stating that Dhaka’s engagement with Beijing is anchored in its national interest.
“Our relationship with China is in our own interests... and certainly, China also has its interests,” he said, adding that the cooperation between the two countries is not one-sided, but rather based on mutual benefits and shared priorities.
“We are taking an even-handed approach,” he said, indicating that Bangladesh’s engagement with China does not come at the expense of relations with any other country.
US factor
Touhid said the United States or some other countries like them might discourage Dhaka from deepening ties with China against the backdrop of growing geopolitical polarisation, but Bangladesh is committed to maintaining a balanced and non-aligned foreign policy.
Dhaka remains focused on protecting its own national interests rather than aligning with any particular bloc, he added.
“We are not really leaning towards China; we are protecting our own interests... and at the same time, we have our relations with the US as well,” he said.
Touhid acknowledged the evolving global dynamics marked by increased bipolarity, but argued that the lines between blocs are not always rigid or clear.
“The global environment is bipolar -- this bloc and that bloc -- but this is not perfect,” he said.
Touhid, a career diplomat by background, said even the US continues to maintain advancing ties with Pakistan, despite its strategic relations with India amid the broader context of China’s ties with Islamabad.
This complexity, he suggested, reflects the need for countries like Bangladesh to remain pragmatic and interest-driven in their external engagements.
He also acknowledged ongoing trade-related discussions with the United States and expressed his optimism regarding the tariff issue with the US.
The adviser said that in the past year, Washington has seen a regime change when Donald Trump assumed the presidency, defeating his Democratic Party rival Kamala Harris.
“But Dhaka-Washington relations remain as good as they were,” Touhid said.
Rohingya repatriation
Touhid admitted that despite Bangladesh’s continued humanitarian efforts to shelter over a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas for the past eight years, the prospect of meaningful repatriation remains a distant possibility.
However, he cited recent developments at the Bimstec Summit, where Myanmar agreed to verify a group of its nationals.
“This is a complex process, but we are hopeful. Still, unless peace returns to Rakhine, repatriation will not be possible . . . we follow international norms, we cannot forcibly send anyone back,” the adviser said.
Expansion of diplomatic missions
Over the past year, Dhaka has been trying to expand its global diplomatic footprint with the opening of several new missions, including a new high commission in New Zealand and a consulate in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in the coming months.
“We will be able to open missions in New Zealand and Johor Bahru within three months as we received the finance approval,” Touhid said, adding he is also planning to open another consulate in Penang to support the large migrant worker community in Malaysia.
He said the public administration ministry recently gave its nod to open six more embassies and consulates, reflecting the interim government’s commitment to strengthening bilateral engagements and ensuring consular services for Bangladeshi nationals abroad.
The adviser said Dhaka, however, attaches immediate priorities to opening a consulate in China’s Guangzhou and a full-fledged embassy in Ireland.
“We will try to convince the finance adviser to approve these immediately,” Touhid said, adding that the remaining missions could be rolled out in a phased manner over the next year, depending on budgetary clearance.
Expatriate welfare reforms
Touhid said that one of the key priorities of the current interim government is to ease the suffering of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, especially those residing in the Middle East and Malaysia.
He highlighted various steps being taken to improve consular services, particularly concerning passport issuance. Citing the example of Oman, the adviser said e-passports are now being delivered directly to applicants' homes through Oman Post, eliminating the need for a second in-person visit.
“We are trying to ensure that our expatriates do not lose work hours. We have also instructed our missions to provide shaded waiting areas for service seekers -- Jeddah has already implemented this,” he noted.
Touhid also addressed deeper challenges faced by the migrant workers, including the high cost of migration, which he linked to illegal activities and exploitation.
To address these issues, he said, the foreign ministry has proposed to station one more expatriates’ welfare officer and one more passport officer at each of the busiest missions in the Middle East to better serve the large migrant worker community.
Internal reforms in foreign ministry
“We are not appointing anyone at the ministry on a contractual basis. Not a single person has been hired that way (in one year),” Touhid said, underlining rationalisation efforts within the ministry.
He acknowledged the challenge of running more than 70 missions with just 400 cadre officers, while one-third of them are stationed at headquarters in Dhaka.
“We will not leave any post vacant in the Middle East (considering remittance-earning expats' benefits). If necessary, we will leave some positions vacant in Europe instead,” he added.
Touhid concluded by reiterating the government’s commitment to building constructive, balanced, and pragmatic diplomatic ties that serve Bangladesh’s long-term national interest while maintaining respect and reciprocity with all nations.
