Bangladesh stands at a crucial juncture in its journey toward becoming a middle-income nation.Since our independence, we’ve successfully overcome the challenges of poverty, hunger, and illiteracy, building a stronger and more diversified economy in the process. One of the major drivers of this success has been the consistent effort to expand and diversify our export markets. As we reflect on this progress, it's clear that the future of our economy hinges on our ability to continue exploring new export markets—an endeavor that requires strategic and effective economic diplomacy.
In the early days following our War of Liberation, Bangladesh’s economy was heavily reliant on the export of jute, which was the country’s primary export good. Over the years, we’ve diversified this export base. By the 1980s, we entered the **Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector, which has since become one of the country’s most significant economic pillars. Today, Bangladesh stands as one of the world's top producers of RMG, and in an interesting turn of events, we are recognized for having the most eco-friendly garments globally.
In the 2000s, we ventured into IT outsourcing—an industry expected to become one of our major foreign-earning sectors in the years ahead. According to several economic forecasts, the future of Bangladesh’s exports lies not just in traditional sectors like RMG and jute, but also in emerging industries such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and heavy industries like steel, tires, and cement.
While our economic growth has been impressive, the next phase of our economic expansion will depend on our ability to tap into new export markets. This is where economic diplomacy comes into play.
Economic diplomacy is not just about negotiating trade deals; it is about building strategic partnerships, identifying new markets, and ensuring that Bangladesh’s voice is heard in international trade forums. It’s about ensuring that Bangladesh has a seat at the global table and that we use that seat to promote our economic interests effectively. As we’ve seen, the global economy is changing, and the countries that succeed in the future will be those that are able to forge robust, mutually beneficial economic relationships.
Currently, Bangladesh maintains 57 embassies and high commissions abroad, and a growing number of consulates and other diplomatic representations. But this diplomatic reach is only part of the story. To truly succeed in economic diplomacy, we must ensure that each diplomatic mission plays an active role in facilitating trade and business opportunities. The business sections of embassies can help connect local businesses to international opportunities, but access to these sections has become increasingly more challenging. We must ensure that our diplomats continue to build meaningful trade relations and open new channels of commerce with countries that have yet to fully engage with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s economic relationships with both China and the United States illustrate the importance of economic diplomacy in today’s world. While the US remains our top export destination, Bangladesh’s trade with China is growing significantly. Recently, the Chinese government granted Duty-Free Quota-Free (DFQF) access for 97% of Bangladeshi products, presenting a tremendous opportunity for expansion in the Chinese market.
Furthermore, as the US-China trade tensions continue, Bangladesh finds itself in a unique position to strengthen its economic relations with both countries. We must not only capitalize on the favorable trade agreements with China but also continue to engage with the US, which remains an important partner for our RMG sector and other industries.
As we look toward 2026, one of the most pressing challenges for Bangladesh is improving the ease of doing business. While Bangladesh has made strides in reducing regulatory burdens, there is still significant room for improvement. In many parts of the world, businesses are looking for stable, transparent, and efficient environments to invest in—and Bangladesh must ensure that it meets these expectations.
In addition to improving our domestic business climate, we must also continue to expand our diplomatic presence. Encouraging more countries to establish embassies and business sections in Bangladesh is crucial. Our diplomatic missions abroad must not only serve as centers for promoting cultural ties but also act as trade hubs that facilitate economic exchanges and partnerships.
Bangladesh’s economic rise over the past few decades is nothing short of remarkable. From a nation once considered a “bottomless basket” by international observers to a second-largest economy in South Asia, we have proven our resilience and ability to adapt. However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The global economy is rapidly changing, and if we are to continue our upward trajectory, we must actively seek out new markets, diversify our exports, and use economic diplomacy to cement our place on the world stage.
The writer while talking to Avik Rahman, former Communication Officer at US Embassy Bangladesh learned how we are importing rice from both Pakistan and India G2G basis, and we should keep our options open, this is a part of economic diplomacy and same applies when we exporting. While participating in an export oriented course, the writer learned the exports gurus who are running Tedtalk like paid version courses, they just want us to focus on goods which only Bangladesh citizens living abroad are consuming. In a sense that’s logical as China has done same, but we need to focus on skill based services and goods.
The task ahead is clear, We must leverage diplomatic relationships, improve the ease of doing business, and push for stronger trade ties with both old and new markets. This is the key to not only ensuring our economic security but also to positioning Bangladesh as a global economic player in the decades to come.
Written by Sheikh Iraj
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