Deepening Bangladesh–UK relations in the emergent Indo-Pacific world

Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region has been heating up. The traditional Sino-Indian rivalry for influence has been growing more aggressive while the formation of the AUKUS alliance in September 2021 shows renewed interest in the region from the UK and the USA. After a decade of remarkable economic growth, a more confident Bangladesh has recently been adopting a more outward-facing foreign-policy posture, looking to ensure its own security and prosperity in the midst of big-power manoeuvres. Against this background, Shaikh Abdur Rahman looks at 50 years of bilateral ties between the UK and Bangladesh to argue that a deepening of the relationship is both possible and desirable for the two countries.