Diplomatic Correspondent

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Monday said rebuilding trust among states is essential for effective international cooperation, stressing that without trust, partnerships weaken.

“We must address the challenge of trust. Without trust, partnerships weaken. Without trust, institutions lose credibility. Without trust, diplomacy becomes more difficult and challenging,” he said, noting that Bangladesh believes in dialogue, international law, and peaceful settlement of disputes.

Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation, the State Minister said Bangladesh believes in a rules-based international order that respects the sovereignty and dignity of every state.

He also called for diplomatic institutions to adapt to emerging technologies and new forms of global competition.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the three-day international conference on Saturday which ended on Monday.

The State Minister said Bangladesh seeks to pursue an independent and pragmatic foreign policy focused on national interest, strategic autonomy, economic opportunity and peace amid growing geopolitical competition.

“Bangladesh should not simply navigate the changing international order. Bangladesh should help shape it and influence it. We should be a bridge between regions, a partner for peace, a hub for connectivity, a destination for investment and a responsible voice for the global South,” he said.

Kobir said their foreign policy must be confident, pragmatic, and forward looking. “It must protect our national interest without closing the door to cooperation and dialogue. It must expand our partnerships without creating dependency.”

And above all, he said, it must serve the people of Bangladesh. The State Minister shared four principles and said, “National interests must guide us. Strategic autonomy must strengthen us. Partnership must expand our opportunities, and peace must remain our ultimate objective.”

The State Minister said the future will not wait for them. “We must shape it, and we must ensure that Bangladesh is a meaningful voice in that future.”

“Our foreign policy must serve Bangladesh’s national interest,” he said, noting that Bangladesh’s foreign policy must protect its sovereignty and security while creating the external conditions necessary for national development.

“We seek engagement with all, based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and national interest. We want strong partnerships, but we also want strategic autonomy. We want cooperation, but we do not want dependency,” Kobir said.

The State Minister said the global order is undergoing rapid changes, with shifting power dynamics, technological transformation and increasingly strategic economic competition putting pressure on trust among states.

“Foreign policy must do more than respond to change. It must help Bangladesh shape the future,” he said.

Kobir said the Bay of Bengal is at the centre of the changing geopolitical landscape and Bangladesh must turn its geographic position into a strategic opportunity.

“The Bay of Bengal connects South Asia and Southeast Asia. It connects major markets, vital sea routes and growing economies,” he said.

Bangladesh wants the Bay of Bengal to remain a space for peace, stability and cooperation, rather than becoming a theatre of confrontation, he said.

The State Minister also stressed the need for Bangladesh to maintain constructive relations with major powers and regional partners without viewing international relations as a choice between competing camps.

“Our policy is not to choose sides. Our policy is to choose what is best for the national interest of Bangladesh,” he said.

“When interests converge, we will cooperate. Where opportunities exist, we will engage. Where differences arise, we will manage them. That is diplomacy. This is strategic maturity in an age of competition,” Kobir said.

He said foreign policy and economic policy can no longer be treated separately, as markets, supply chains, energy, technology and investment are increasingly linked to national security and development.

“Economic diplomacy must be a core instrument of Bangladesh’s foreign policy,” he said.

“For a country like Bangladesh, foreign policy, economic policy and security policy cannot be too separated from each other. It must take shape and formulation in an integrated way,” Kobir said.

The State Minister said South Asia remains one of the least integrated regions in the world and called for stronger regional connectivity, trade, energy cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

Bangladesh should be more ambitious in pursuing regional economic integration, including exploring the possibility of greater market access and a potential regional single market, he said.

“These are ambitious goals. But we need to put ourselves in that vision,” Kobir said.

He also highlighted non-traditional security challenges, including cyber, food, energy, water and maritime security, saying these challenges cross borders and require greater regional cooperation.

Bangladesh needs a security architecture that strengthens resilience, policy coherence and delivery, he said.

Kobir said climate change and humanitarian displacement remain major challenges for Bangladesh, which contributes very little to global emissions but faces severe climate risks.

He called for greater climate justice, adaptation finance, technology transfer and international cooperation.

“Climate leadership was the priority that we placed,” he said, referring to the government’s engagement at the World Economic Forum.

The Rohingya crisis, meanwhile, remains one of Bangladesh’s top national security and foreign policy priorities, Kobir said.

Bangladesh continues to host more than one million forcibly displaced Rohingyas and has carried the responsibility with “humanity and dignity,” he said.

“But humanitarian assistance cannot be the permanent answer to this crisis. It is a major and serious problem of political and security concern that needs to be addressed,” he said.

Kobir said Bangladesh would seek to raise the profile of the Rohingya issue at the international and multilateral levels during its presidency of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The country would also seek greater financial support and intensify bilateral engagement with development partners in the region and beyond to help resolve the crisis, he said.

“The ultimate objective must be the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingya people,” Kobir said, stressing the need for sustained international political commitment.

“Artificial intelligence will transform diplomacy. Digital technologies will reshape economies. Climate change will shape security. New technologies will reshape warfare,” Kobir said.

Bangladesh needs stronger strategic analysis, greater technological expertise and deeper economic knowledge, while its next generation of diplomats must be able to understand geopolitics, economics, technology, climate and security in an integrated manner, he said.