Bangladesh
Updated December 13, 2023
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) is a Muslim-majority
The United States and Bangladesh hold annual bilateral
South Asian nation bordering India and Burma (Myanmar)
Partnership Dialogues and Security Dialogues, and have
on the Bay of Bengal. The world’s eighth most populous
developed a cooperative security relationship to meet
country, with approximately 167 million people, it has a
shared concerns, including violent extremism and regional
land area about the size of Iowa. Its democratic system has
security. As part of these dialogues, the two governments
faced many serious challenges, including political violence,
have agreed to work closely together for a shared vision of
weak governance, corruption, poverty, demographic and
a free, open, inclusive, and peaceful Indo-Pacific.
environmental strains, and Islamist militancy. The United
States and Bangladesh have partnered on various issues and
Figure 1. Bangladesh in Brief
worked together to promote shared interests in South Asia
and the Indo-Pacific region.
Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy that conducts
regular elections, though there are increasing concerns that
it is backsliding toward a one-party, hybrid regime that
includes elements of authoritarianism and democracy. The
ruling Awami League (AL), the party of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, increasingly dominates national politics.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been the main
opposition party. In opposition, both parties have at times
used demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades,
as well as the ballot box, to regain government control.
Prime Minister Hasina, in office since 2009, won her third
consecutive term in December 2018. During that election,
observers reported vote rigging, voter intimidation, and
mass arrests of opposition activists. The next parliamentary
elections are scheduled for January 7, 2024.
The World Bank projects Bangladesh’s economic growth
Sources: Economist Intel igence Unit, World Bank, Asian
rate fell from an estimated 7.1% in 2022 to 6% in 2023.
Development Bank, State Department, Census Bureau, World Atlas.
Readymade garments accounted for 85% of Bangladesh’s
exports in 2022. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects
Rohingya
Bangladesh’s export growth to decelerate due to slowing
The predominantly Muslim Rohingya have faced
consumer spending in Europe and the United States.
persecution in Buddhist-majority Burma for years. The
Agriculture, previously the largest employment sector,
Burmese government has denied them citizenship and
accounted for 37% of total employment in 2021, second to
treated them as illegal immigrants. In FY2022, the United
the service sector’s 41%. The World Bank reported
States provided $265 million in humanitarian assistance for
remittances to Bangladesh of $21.5 billion in 2022.
Rohingya refugees from Burma, including in host
communities in Bangladesh. The State Department
Relations with the United States
announced an additional $26 million in assistance in March
The United States has long-standing relations with
2023. Total U.S. assistance for the Rohingya since August
Bangladesh, and is among its largest export markets and
2017 is now almost $2.1 billion. Approximately one million
sources of foreign investment. The Obama, Trump, and
Rohingya currently reside in Bangladesh, testing the
Biden Administrations, and many Members of Congress,
government’s ability to provide adequate security, food,
have focused on issues relating to Rohingya refugees from
and sanitation. Bangladesh officials have criticized Burma
Burma, democracy, good governance, economic
for its failure to take steps to repatriate the Rohingya.
development, humanitarian concerns, labor rights, human
Bangladesh began relocating Rohingya from existing camps
rights, and counterterrorism. Some Members contend that
in Bangladesh to Bhashan Char, a remote island in the Bay
supporting democracy, rule of law, and human rights,
of Bengal, in December 2020, despite warnings that the
including in Bangladesh, is critical to advancing U.S.
island is vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surges. Press
interests. The State Department announced in May 2023
reports estimate that roughly 30,000 Rohingya refugees had
that it will restrict visa issuance for any Bangladeshis it
been relocated to the island as of January 2023.
finds to be undermining Bangladesh’s democratic election
process ahead of scheduled 2024 voting.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bangladesh
Human Rights and Religious Freedom
Islamist Extremism
Some analysts and policymakers contend that human rights
The U.S. government generally views Bangladesh as a
and religious freedom are under threat in Bangladesh. The
moderate voice in the Islamic world, but the emergence of
State Department’s 2022 Country Report on Human Rights
some Islamist militancy in the country has concerned the
Practices: Bangladesh highlights a number of concerns,
governments of both the United States and Bangladesh.
including “unlawful or arbitrary killings, including
Both governments identify a common interest in countering
extrajudicial killings; forced disappearance[s]; torture or
Islamist extremists. Both the Islamic State (IS) and Al
cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
Qaeda have been active in Bangladesh. A 2016 terrorist
punishment by the government.” It also noted reports of
attack by IS-aligned militants killed over 20 people in
extrajudicial “crossfire” killings in 2022. Security forces are
Dhaka; fatalities included one American, along with several
rarely held accountable for such deaths. The constitution
other foreigners. Other militant groups, such as the
recognizes Islam as the state religion, but also officially
suspected IS-aligned Neo-Jama’atul Mujahideen
upholds secular principles. Despite the government’s public
Bangladesh, have also been active. Bangladesh authorities
espousal of tolerance, religious minorities face
have been largely effective in thwarting IS militants since
discrimination and violence. The State Department notes
the 2016 attack, the State Department assesses.
widespread communal violence against Hindu, Christian,
and Buddhist religious minorities in Bangladesh.
External Relations
Positioned at the intersection of India, China, Southeast
Democracy
Asia, and the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh occupies a geo-
Observers had long categorized Bangladesh as a democratic
strategically important location, and its foreign policy seeks
nation. However, some analysts now argue that Bangladesh
to promote trade, economic development, and diplomatic
is approaching, or has already become, a one-party state.
linkages with a range of countries. In February 2023,
The 2018 election, in which Sheikh Hasina won her most
Bangladesh abstained from a U.N. General Assembly vote
recent five-year term, was “not considered free and fair by
on a resolution reprimanding Russia for invading Ukraine.
observers,” the State Department reports. Freedom House
assesses that AL has consolidated political power through
The Bay of Bengal region is a focus of China’s Belt and
harassment of the opposition and its perceived allies, as
Road Initiative, which emphasizes global infrastructure,
well as of critical media and civil society voices. According
energy projects, trade, transit, and other linkages. China
to Human Rights Watch, authorities have jailed opposition
also has become Bangladesh’s primary supplier of military
members, violated freedom of speech, and suppressed AL
equipment, including two submarines, maritime patrol
critics. Transparency International, which measures levels
vessels, tanks, and fighter jets. By one estimate, China
of national corruption, ranked Bangladesh 147th of 180
supplied approximately 74% of Bangladesh’s weapons
countries in 2022; Bangladesh dropped to 163rd of 180
between 2010 and 2020. Bangladesh-China ties expanded
countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2023 World Press
significantly following President Xi Jinping’s 2016 visit to
Freedom Index. Freedom House designates Bangladesh as
Dhaka, where President Xi and Prime Minister Hasina
“partly free.” Following the announcement of new U.S. visa
agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a “strategic
restrictions, Dhaka promised the 2024 elections will be free
partnership of cooperation.” Prime Minister Hasina traveled
and fair. Some observers remain concerned about
to China in 2019 to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
democratic backsliding in Bangladesh in light of the
ongoing government crackdown on the BNP and other
Some Indian officials express concern that Bangladesh’s
opposition parties, which has sparked large-scale protests.
growing engagement with China could impact the close
The BNP and 14 other registered parties are boycotting the
Bangladesh-India relationship. Some consider China’s
election; this makes an overwhelming AL victory all but
“encroachment” in India’s neighborhood as a challenge to
guaranteed. Some analysts question whether the elections
Indian interests. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
can be considered free and fair given these circumstances.
described Bangladesh as a significant pillar of India’s
“Neighborhood First” policy during a 2020 virtual summit
Demographic and Environmental
with Hasina. In 2020, Bangladesh halted development of
Concerns
what would have been its first deep-sea port at Sonadia
Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated
after India opposed China’s involvement. Bangladesh and
countries, and some analysts assess that growing
India continue to maintain close relations, and Prime
demographic pressures and environmental problems may
Ministers Hasina and Modi signed several Memoranda of
result in millions of displacements. The World Health
Understanding in New Delhi in September 2022.
Organization estimates that climate change may displace as
many as one in seven Bangladeshis. World Bank data show
Bangladesh and Japan also have been developing closer
that Bangladesh’s population growth rate has slowed from
relations, with Japanese financing of infrastructure projects
an annual rate high of 3% in 1967 to 1.1% in 2021. Some
in Bangladesh. In August 2022, the Japan International
projections indicate the population will peak at 193 million
Cooperation Agency signed an investment agreement with
in 2053. If that happens, observers suggest many nationals
Bangladesh SEZ Ltd. to establish a Special Economic Zone
may migrate to already-overcrowded cities or to
Development Project. Japan is assisting with the
neighboring countries, such as India, straining social
construction of a deep-water port at Matabari. Some experts
services and, perhaps, contributing to regional instability.
see developing ties with Japan as reflecting Bangladesh’s
desire to balance its relations with external partners.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bangladesh
IF10214
Maria A. Blackwood, Analyst in Asian Policy
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