Foreign relations of Bangladesh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The foreign relations of People's Republic of Bangladesh share the
Bangladeshi government's policies in its external relations with the
international community. The country pursues a moderate foreign policy that
places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy, especially at the United
Nations and World Trade Organization (WTO). Since independence in 1971,
the country has stressed its principle of friendship towards all, malice
towards none in dictating its diplomacy. As a member of the Non-Aligned
Movement, Bangladesh has tended to not take sides with major powers.
Since the end of the Cold War, the country has pursued better relations with
regional neighbors. Inspired by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's vision for a
Switzerland of the East, the Bangladesh government has begun to translate
the ideal into a foreign policy that pursues regional economic integration in
South Asia and aims to establish Bangladesh as a regional hub of transit
trade in Asia.Participation in multilateral organizations
Commonwealth of Nations-Bangladesh,which was part of British India
until 1947, joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972 after its
establishment as an independent nation in 1971.[1] It has actively
participated in the Heads of Government conferences that take place biannually.
United Nations-Bangladesh was admitted to the United Nations in 1974[2]
and was elected to a Security Council term in 1978-1980[3] and again for a
2000-2002 term. Foreign Minister Choudhury served as president of the 41st
UN General Assembly in 1986. In recent years, Bangladesh has played a
significant role in international peacekeeping activities. Nearly 10,000
Bangladeshi military personnel are deployed overseas on peacekeeping
operations, making it a large contributor to the UN peacekeeping forces.
Under UN auspices, Bangladeshi troops have served or are serving in
Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kuwait, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Haiti,
and units are currently serving in Kuwait and East Timor. Bangladesh
responded quickly to U.S. President Bill Clinton's 1994 request for troops and
police for the multinational force for Haiti and provided the largest non-U.S.
contingent. As of December 2012, Bangladesh is the largest provider of UN
peacekeepers.
Non-Aligned Movement
Main article: Non-Aligned Movement
Bangladesh was selected to provide the next chairman of NAM at the summit
scheduled for Dhaka 2001, however it was later decided to host the summit

at an alternative venue. As a member of the Non-aligned Movement

Bangladesh never took any position in line with big powers. However it
parted with its principle by voting at the United Nations against North Korea,
under pressure from Japan, in December 2008.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation-In 1974, then Prime minister
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, lead a Bangladeshi delegation team
consisting Kamal Hossain, Enayet Karim, Ataur Rahman Khan, Taher Uddin
Thakur, Tofail Ahmed and Shah Azizur Rahman under him,[4] to the
international meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC,
now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) held in Lahore. Following this
participation Bangladesh was admitted as a member of OIC. In 1977,
President Ziaur Rahman amended the Constitution of Bangladesh, including
a clause stating that " the state shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and
strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic
solidarity ".[5] Since then, an explicit goal of Bangladeshi foreign policy has
been to seek close relations with other Islamic states. In 1980, President
Ziaur Rahman was included in a 3 member "Al-Quds" summit committee to
attend the summit at Morocco.[6] In 1983, Bangladesh hosted in capital Dacca
the foreign ministers meeting of the OIC. At the OIC headquarters at Jeddah,
Bangladesh is represented in the capacity of one of the Director Generals.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation-The government
also pursued the expansion of cooperation among the nations of South Asia,
bringing the processan initiative of former President Ziaur Rahman
through its earliest, most tentative stages to the formal inauguration of the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at a summit
gathering of South Asian leaders in Dhaka in December 1985. Bangladesh
has served in the chairmanship of SAARC and has participated in a wide
range of ongoing SAARC regional activities
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific-An
intergovernmental and autonomous organisation, the organisation consists
of fifteen members:- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Iran, Indonesia,
Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand
and Vietnam. The area of cooperation is primarily focused on agriculture,
regional relations and the development of the region.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation-An international organisation which includes South Asian and
Southeast Asian nations. The member nations of this group are: Bangladesh,
India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The organisation
focuses on regional economy, regional development and trade & investment.
Developing 8 Countries-Bangladesh along with the seven other nations
are all original members and no plans for expansions have been made. The

Developing 8 is an economic development alliance consisting of Muslim

majority states which focuses in multiple areas which are rural development,
science and technology, banking, agriculture, humanitarian development,
energy, environment, health and finance. On May 14, 2006 in Bali, Indonesia,
Bangladesh was the only nation not to sign a preferential trade agreement.
Asia Pacific Trade Agreement-In 2005, Bangladesh signed the APTA
agreement which would enable it to reduce trade gaps between itself and
other nations such as China, South Korea and its neighbour India. Another
aspect of the agreement is to be given duty-free access to its products. [7]
World Trade Organization-Bangladesh is an active member of the World
Trade Organization (WTO). Bangladesh has a permanent mission in Geneva
to look after matters relating to multi-lateral trading system under the WTO
regime since mid-1990s.
World Customs Organization-Bangladesh is an active member of the
World Customs Organization (WCO). Bangladesh has a permanent
representative to WCO which has its headquarters in Brussels.
Like Minded Group-Bangladesh have formed an alliance with nineteen
other developing countries to vote as a bloc in organisations such as the
WTO and the United Nations
Other-Bangladesh is currently chairman of the Developing 8 Countries. The
government has participated in numerous international conferences,
especially those dealing with population, food, development, and women's
issues. In 1982-83, Bangladesh played a constructive role as chairman of the
"Group of 77", an informal association encompassing most of the world's
developing nations. It has taken a leading role in the "Group of 48"
developing countries. Bangladesh also participates in these international
organizations: ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, SACEP, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, OPCW.
Bilateral relations-Bangladesh have established official diplomatic
relations with most of the members of United Nations as well as some nonUN members like Palestine. Relations with these nations are largely cordial
except for some bilateral disputes with India, Pakistan and Burma.
Bangladesh puts deep emphasize on relations with China and the United
States as China is the largest military supplier to Bangladesh while United
States is one of the largest export markets for Bangladeshi products. In
recent years, the relations with Russia also became influential because of the
Russian loan and technical assistance on military modernization and the first

ever nuclear power plant project of Bangladesh. The bilateral relations of

Bangladesh are mainly based on trade activities. However, with certain
countries, the relations expand to other areas such as military cooperation,
cultural exchange etc.
Asia
South Asia
Bangladesh maintains friendly relations with Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri
Lanka and strongly opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Bangladesh
and Nepal recently agreed to facilitate land transit between the two
countries.

Country

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Afgha Islamic
Republic of
nistan
Afghanistan

Pakist Islamic
Republic of
an
Pakistan

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See Afghanistan-Bangladesh relations
Ties between Afghanistan and Bangladesh
goes back before the emergence of their
modern political borders sharing historical,
cultural and trade relations. In 1971, the
Kingdom of Afghanistan was one of the
first Muslim countries to recognize the
independence of Bangladesh, along with
Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia. They
share similar views on international issues
such as combating terrorism and
increased regional cooperation. A
Bangladeshi NGO, BRAC is a part of the
reconstruction effort in Afghanistan
particularly in microfinance and in 2007
the Afghan ambassador to Bangladesh,
Ahmed Karim Nawabi had stated that
Afghanistan is interested in recruiting
manpower from Bangladesh.[8]
See Bangladesh-Pakistan relations
The Bangladesh-Pakistan relationship is
yet to be at a level that may be called
warm. However since full diplomatic
relations were implemented in January
1976, it has shown improvement in
bilateral relations concerning commerce,

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culture and trade and making

reconciliatory agreements.
Landmarks in their reconciliation are:

An August 1973 agreement between

Bangladesh and Pakistan on the
repatriation of numerous individuals,
including 90,000 Pakistani prisoners
of war stranded in Bangladesh as a
result of the 1971 conflict;
A February 1974 accord by
Bangladesh and Pakistan on mutual
diplomatic recognition, followed
more than 2 years later by
establishment of formal diplomatic
relations on January 18, 1976

The organization by the United

Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) of an airlift that
moved almost 250,000 Bengalis
from Pakistan to Bangladesh, and
non-Bengalis from Bangladesh to
Pakistan; and

Exchanges of high-level visits,

including a visit by Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto to Bangladesh in
1989 and visits by Prime Minister
Khaleda Zia to Pakistan in 1992 and
in 1995.

Issues need resolving:

Division of assets from the pre-1971

period[citation needed]
Repatriation of 250,000 ethnic
Biharis known as "Stranded
Pakistanis"

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Possibly the most important and
most sensitive issue is the Question
of Pakistan's apology for the
genocide in 1971 which has led to
the breakdown of numerous talks
between the two.[citation needed]
See Bangladesh Sri Lanka relations

Sri
Lanka

Democratic
Socialist
Republic of
Sri Lanka

Relations are historically tied together

even beyond the sub-continent's
colonisation by the British. Sri Lanka's first
King (to be mentioned in the ancient Pali
chronicles) was alleged to have ancestors
from the Vanga Kingdom which occupied
an area now known as Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's Buddhist minority gifted Sri
Lanka with a few strands of hair said to
have belonged to Buddha as a sign of
goodwill. It is a worshipped object on Poya
Day, a Buddhist public holiday in Sri
Lanka.[26]
In August 2008, both Heads of States
discussed the implementation of new air
links in hope of increasing trade,
investment and stronger cultural links. Sri
Lanka's current investments have been in
Bangladesh's garment and banking sector
and expect to diversify into different
areas. Bangladesh also hosts a number of
Sri Lankan medical students and cricket as
a form of friendly communications
between their people.[27]

Malaysia

Malaysia

There has been discussion to increase

bilateral relations, cooperation between
the two navies and sending Sri Lankan
Naval personal to study in Bangladesh.[28]
See Bangladesh-Malaysia relations
Malaysia was one of the first Muslim

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states along with Indonesia to recognise

Bangladesh and since then the two have
seen a rapid growth of cooperation
between them. Malaysia offers economic
and technical assistance, trade and
investment while Bangladesh offers a
cheap labour workforce for areas such as
construction.
Malaysia is the largest ASEAN investor in
Bangladesh and Malaysian companies
have invested $1.3 billion in 59 projects in
2007 in areas such as
telecommunications, textiles and financial
sector. However the trade balance is
overwhelmingly in Malaysia's favour,
during the 2006-07 fiscal year, exports
were a mere $16.9 million compared to
$384.16 million in imports. Trading
between the two nations are increasing
especially in pharmaceutical exports with
a number businesses are calling for a Free
Trade Agreement to balance out the trade
deficit.
Many Malaysian companies have shown
keen interest to participate in
infrastructure projects here such as power
generation, sea port development, waste
disposal system, construction of roads
and highways as well as in the service
sector such as education and healthcare.
Malaysia said will continue to contribute
positive efforts to promote and expand
bilateral relations with Bangladesh,
particularly in trade and investment.
Pending projects like the DhakaChittagong highway, worth $1.2 billion,
power generation, port development etc.
would be completed.

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Malaysia and Bangladesh recently agreed

to signing a Memorandum of
Understanding in a tackle against money
laundering from Bangladesh to Malaysia.
The signatories are the financial
intelligence units of the central banks
from both nations with one aspect of the
deal being that any Bangladeshi comes
under suspicion they will gain information
from Malaysia freely.[31]
Bangladesh and Malaysia are also
members of Developing 8, OIC, the
Commonwealth of Nations, Like Minded
Group and Non-Aligned Movement show
that the two have similar views on
regional and international issues.

Burma

Republic
of the
Union of
Myanmar

Issue of labor force administration in

Malaysia has somewhat strained the
bilateral ties temporarily. In 2007
Malaysia banned imports of Bangladeshi
workers into the country after hundreds of
them were stranded at an airport because
their employers failed to collect them.
There were demonstrations in Kuala
Lumpur by Bangladeshi workers
demanding payments and better
conditions. This created a crisis in the
bilateral ties but issue has been resolved
with the interference of the governments.
The government had placed a similar
restriction in 1999 but lifted the ban in
2011 by approving an initial intake of
300,000 workers.[32]
See BangladeshBurma relations
Bilateral ties with Myanmar are good,
despite occasional border strains and an
influx of more than 270,000 Muslim

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refugees (known as "Rohingya") from

predominantly Buddhist Burma. As a
result of bilateral discussions, and with
the cooperation and assistance of the
UNHCR, most of the Rohingya refugees
have now returned to Burma[citation needed]. As
of 2000, about 22,000 refugees remain in
camps in southern Bangladesh.
At the 2008 ASEAN Regional forum
summit in Singapore, Bangladesh and
Myanmar have pledged to solve their
maritime boundary disputes as quickly as
possible especially that a UN deadline in
claiming maritime territories will expire in
three years time.[33]

Philippines

Singapore

Republic
of the
Philippine
s

Republic
of

Both countries discussed the possibility of

linking the two countries together in an
attempt to boost their trade and
commerce relations. The estimate to
complete the 25 km highway is three
years and at the cost of $20 million.
Another aspect of this plan is to connect
the highway to the Asian Superhighway
which would connect the two countries to
China.[34]
See Bangladesh-Philippines relations
Bangladesh and the Philippines have had
a very close and friendly relations since
the birth of Bangladesh. The Philippines
supported the liberation of Bangladesh
and recognized it on February 24, 1972.
The Philippine Ambassador to the United
Nations spoke in favor of the nation
during its liberation struggle and also
during Bangladeshs admission to the
United Nations in 1974.
See Bangladesh-Singapore relations

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Singapore
The two nations are founders of the Asian
Union. A sizable number of Bangladeshi
migrant workers are currently working in
labor-intensive jobs in Singapore.

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(Official
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East Asia
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See Bangladesh-Japan relations and
Japan Japan
Bangladeshis in Japan

China

People's
Republic of
China

Bangladeshi-Japanese relations were

established in February 1972.[35] Japan is
Bangladesh's 11th-largest export
market; imports from Bangladesh make
up 26% of all Japanese imports from the
least developed countries, second only
to those from Cambodia. Common
imports from Bangladesh to Japan
include leather goods, ready-made
garments, and shrimp.[36] By 2004,
Japan had become Bangladesh's fourthlargest source of foreign direct
investment, behind the United States,
United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Japan's
political goals in its relationship with
Bangladesh include gaining support for
their bid to join the United Nations
Security Council, and securing markets
for their finished goods. Japan is a
significant source of development aid to
Bangladesh.[37]
See BangladeshPeople's Republic of
China relations
Early relations with the People's
Republic of China were cold due to the
rare use of China's veto at the United
Nations Security Council to block

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Bangladesh's accession to the United
Nations. Lately however China has
made efforts to improve relations with
many of its neighbors. Trade with China
reached a record level in 2006 of $3.2
billion under the auspices of the AsiaPacific Trade Agreement (AFTA). The
trade balance between the two
countries are in China's favour. China
has also officially agreed to helping
Bangladesh on developing their nuclear
power plant. Bangladesh has also
signed the Apsco convention with six
other nations to form a pact with China
on space exploration.[42]

Central Asia
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Western Asia (Middle East)

Main article: Bangladeshis in the Middle East
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, the majority of conservative Arab
nations were against Bangladeshi liberation because India- a non-Muslim
nation was supporting break up of a Muslim country (Pakistan). Although
interestingly enough non-Arab Muslim nations such as Indonesia and Turkey
established relations quickly. In the present, Bangladesh maintains relations
to the Middle East through many areas such as commerce, history, military
and most importantly religious ties which enabled the two to cooperate more
easily then compared to their Western or Far Eastern partners. Bangladesh
supplies over 1 million guest workers to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,
Kuwait and other Gulf countries. In turn most of Bangladesh's oil is imported
from this region.[44] Islamic countries and charities provide economic aid
usually to advance the Islamic agenda, including funding mosques and
madrassas.

During the Yom Kippur War, Bangladesh supported the Arabs and
Palestinians and sent a medical team and relief supply which was
appreciated. In return they enabled Bangladesh to become a member of NAM
at the Algiers Summit in 1973 and pressured Pakistan into recognising
Bangladesh in order to get Mujib to go to the 1974 OIC Summit in Lahore, as
he stated that was his only condition.
Bangladesh also took active part in trying to broker a ceasefire between Iran
and Iraq during their eight-year war as a member of the United Nations
Security Council and participating in the UNIIMOG mission which they
became Acting Head of in the last few years before withdrawal. It later
helped them to be elected into the OIC Peace Committee.
Bangladesh strongly opposed the Israeli bombardment of South Lebanon
which killed approximately 1,191 civilians and described it as "State
Terrorism" and a double standard conflict going into detail that a non-western
nation would have been labelled a terrorist and a western nation would have
never been deemed a terrorist.[45] They also temporarily contributed to the
peacekeeping effort after the 2006 Lebanon War by sending in battalions of
infantry. [46]

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(Official
Name)

Bahrai Kingdom of
Bahrain
Republic of
Iraq
Iraq

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See Bahrain-Bangladesh relations
See Bangladesh-Iraq relations
Iraq became the first Arab nation to
recognise the independence of
Bangladesh.[47] Bangladesh and Iraq have
missions located in Baghdad and Dhaka,
although Iraq closed theirs down after the
Iraq War began[48] but has expressed
interest in reopening since 2011.[49]
Bangladesh and Iraq's ties are primarily
based on common faith but there has not
been much progression into areas such as
trade and investment. Between 1980 and
1986, Iraq sent five officers to study in
Bangladesh's military academy in Dhaka.
[50]
The only notable visit between the two
nations was Saddam Hussein's visit to

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Bangladesh in 1988. The height of

Bangladesh-Iraq relations was during the
1980s due to Bangladesh's role in trying
to call for a ceasefire between Iraq and
Iran during their war and was a part of
UNIIMOG. Relations quickly deteriorated
after Iraq invaded Kuwait sparking the
Gulf War and a huge rise in oil prices.
Bangladesh responded to the UN
resolution demanding Iraq withdraw by
the deadline or face military action.
Bangladesh's other reasons for
participation was because of the
Bangladeshi community in Kuwait who
some work on oil rigs and Kuwait is
Bangladesh's oil supplier. Compared to
Iraq's relation to its neighbours and the
West, their relations with Bangladesh
were considered satisfactory and this was
displayed by deploying two engineer
battalions rather than infantries to
directly engage Iraqi troops.

Iran

Islamic
Republic of
Iran

Relations between Baghdad and Dhaka

would later improve after the US invasion
of Iraq in 2003 when Bangladesh declined
to send troops to Iraq despite America's
persistence and stating that the UN
should have had a primary role in solving
the matter before the war.[51][52] Currently
they want a complete withdrawal from
Iraq and has expressed support for
reconstruction efforts. The public in
Bangladesh have repeatedly held large
demonstrations against the war.[53]
See Bangladesh-Iran relations
Immediately after the independence of
Bangladesh, many non-Arab nations
quickly recognised the new country.

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However, due to the strong pro-US

attitude of the Shah and helping to
transport weapons to West Pakistan
during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Iran, however, established diplomatic
relations with independent Bangladesh in
early 1972. A turning point in relations
was during the Iraq-Iran War when
Bangladesh as a UN Security Council
member tried to broker a ceasefire
between the nations and settle their
disputes with dialogue. Eventually,
Bangladesh would participate in UNIIMOG
mission to observe that agreements such
as a ceasefire had been honoured.
This article is outdated. Please
update this article to reflect recent
events or newly available
information. (December 2013)
In 1995, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
became the first President of Iran to visit
Bangladesh. The current president,
Hassan Rouhani is looking to strengthen
relations with countries in South Asia
such as Bangladesh by increasing Iranian
investment like building oil refineries. In
return, Bangladesh is supporting Iran's
rights to its Nuclear Program for Peaceful
Purposes. In 2006, both countries signed
a preferential trade accord which
removes non-tariff barriers, hoping to
take it further to a free trade
agreement[54] and in 2007, Bangladesh
has requested Iranian assistance on
building its nuclear power plant and to
import raw fish.[55]
Both countries are members of

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Palesti Palestine
ne

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Developing 8 Countries, OIC, Like Minded
Group. They have generally similar views
on world issues especially on the
occupation of Palestine.
See Bangladesh-Palestine relations
Relations between Bangladesh and
Palestine are considered to be warm and
cordial as Bangladesh advocates for an
independent Palestinian state and an end
to 'Israeli' occupation. Bangladesh is one
of the 135 countries to recognise
Palestine as a state since the Palestinian
Declaration of Independence on
November 15, 1988. The first high-level
meeting between the two was in 1974 at
the second OIC summit in Lahore,
Pakistan between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and Yasser Arafat. Since then there have
been high level contact such as Yasser
Arafat's visits in 1981 and 1987 who was
warmly received by both former
presidents Ziaur Rahman and Hossain
Mohammad Ershad with favourable media
coverage. Later when democracy
returned to Bangladesh, Arafat was also
received warmly by Prime Ministers
Khaleda Zia[56] and Sheikh Hasina. There
is a wide public support for an
independent Palestine as the Government
had reported in 1987 that 8,000 had
volunteered for the PLO although there
had never been any official moves to
send weapons or personnel.[57] However,
it has been reported that some
Bangladeshis have travelled to Lebanon
to join Palestinian battles against Israel.
Since the 1980s, under IMET
(International Military Education and
Training) there have been development of
military ties between the PLO and
Bangladesh with the former attending

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Saudi Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia
Arabia

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one year courses at the Bangladesh
Military Academy near Chittagong.[58]
Palestine are represented in Bangladesh
by the Embassy of the State of Palestine
that has been established in Dhaka.
Bangladesh also provided material help to
establish the diplomatic mission.[59]
See Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations
Early relations between Riyadh and
Dhaka where somewhat dormant owing
to the former capital's country's close
bond with Bangladesh's historical
provider, Pakistan. From mid-1970s
onward Bangladesh was seeking closer
ties with oil rich Arab states such as Saudi
Arabia. After the 1982 coup by Ershad, he
visited Riyadh to meet with the King. Nine
months later a ten member delegation of
the Saudi military arrived in Bangladesh
to discuss possible military ties and
inspect its facilities. There was a rumour
persisting amongst the press that the
Saudis were considering to station a
division of the Bangladesh army in the
Kingdom (15,000 personnel). It was
reported as a proposal by Ziaur Rahman
although both governments deny this, the
rumour continued into Ershad's rule.[58]
Since 1981, Saudi Arabia has sent 77
officers to the Defense Services
Command & Staff College in Dhaka, which
is the college's largest number of
overseas graduates from a single nation.
[60]

Bangladesh is seeking to increase

economic ties with Saudi Arabia in order
to reduce the trade deficit currently in the
Kingdom's favour. One of their proposals
is to export ceramics, leather and

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pharmaceutical products to the Kingdom
as they are already doing with the
western nations.[61]

Africa
Bangladesh's presence in Africa is mostly due to their large contribution to
the peacekeeping forces present around the continent such as Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Ivory Coast, Sudan (Darfur) and Somalia. Bangladesh can foster ties
based on its history such as nations in Southeast Africa where there is a
South Asian population (whose ancestors immigrated there during the British
Empire). In countries such as Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, Bangladeshi
peacekeepers have been honoured. In Sierra Leone, Bengali have been
declared a state language.[62] It is currently trying to increase ties with the
southern economic bloc in Southern Africa with nations such as Zimbabwe.[63]

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South Republic of
South Africa
Africa

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See Bangladesh-South Africa relations
Relations began during the inauguration
of Nelson Mandela in 1994, and full
diplomatic relations were implemented on
10 September 1994.
Due to the brutality and the White
Supremacist ideology of the Apartheid
regime, relations between South Africa
and Bangladesh were non-existent until
the collapse of white minority rule and
Nelson Mandela's rise to power. There is a
number of Bangladeshis which make up
the South Asian community in South
Africa and immigration still continues,
although it has temporarily halted due to
attacks against foreign workers.
Bangladesh exports its raw materials such
as leather, finished jute and also garments

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and textiles. South Africa exports to
Bangladesh are iron ore, steel, aluminium,
infrastructure projects and machinery and
equipment for railways.

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Australi Commonwealth
See Australia-Bangladesh relations
a
of Australia
Australia and Bangladesh enjoy good
relations since Australia was the first
western nation and the fourth in the
world to recognise Bangladesh opening
its embassy in Dhaka in 1972. There is
also a Bangladeshi community present
in the country.
Europe
European countries, particularly from Scandinavia, provide significant
economic assistance to Bangladesh.

European Union

Main article: Bangladesh-European Union relations

Bangladesh's relations with the European Union and its member states
remained a priority area in the foreign policy context. A number of
achievements were made in the economic field during that brief period. At
present EU is the top export destination of Bangladesh's products (48% of
the total product). The International Jute Study Groupwhich comprises the
EU, Bangladesh, and Indiais established in Dhaka. Bangladesh successfully
participated in World Apparel Fair, European Seafood Exposition, Bangladesh
Trade Show in Moscow and Kiev.

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Denm Kingdom of
Denmark
ark

Franc French
Republic

Germ Federal
any
Republic of
Germany

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes
See Bangladesh-Denmark relations
Denmark have an embassy in Dhaka.
Bangladesh is represented through its
embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Bangladesh has been part of the Danish
development assistance since its
independence in 1971. Danish
development helps Bangladesh with
transport, water transport, agriculture,
fisheries and rural development.
Denmark supports Human Rights and Civil
Society in Bangladesh. In 1975, an
agreement on boat building and
mechanization was signed. In 1978, both
countries signed an agreement on a fish
marketing scheme.
See Bangladesh-France relations
France and Bangladesh share an amicable
relationship. In 1991, France cancelled
Bangladesh's public debt (FRF 598M) as a
gesture of goodwill. Trade between the
two remains in Bangladesh's favour with
France being its fourth biggest customer
in 2005 (5.9% of Bangladeshi exports).
France has many direct investments in the
country such as the Lafarge cement
plant[74] in Chatak and has recently shown
interest in aiding Bangladesh with the
development of a nuclear power plant for
civilian purposes.
See Bangladesh-Germanyrelations
After the independence of Bangladesh in
1971, East Germany was the third country
in the world, and the first country in
Europe, to officially recognise Bangladesh
in 1972.[75] Bangladesh also warmly
greeted German reunification. As an
economic power as well as an important

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes

member of the European Union (EU),

Germany is a reliable partner of
Bangladesh in development cooperation.
Since independence, German churches
and numerous non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) made tremendous
efforts to promote the social and
economic development of Bangladesh.
German assistance to Bangladesh is
received in the form of development
efforts, trade and cultural cooperation.
Both countries have a long and successful
bilateral relationship on most international
issues. Germany always emphasises the
democratic characteristics, governance
issues and development process of
Bangladesh.
After establishment of diplomatic
relations, the bilateral relations between
the two countries began to grow steadily.
Between the start of development
cooperation in 1972 and the end of 2005,
Bangladesh received approximately 2.3
billion in commitments from Germany as
part of bilateral financial and technical
cooperation, in addition of the funds
provided by the German churches and
NGOs. At an intergovernmental
negotiation in 2005, Bangladesh received
14 million in new commitments from
Germany. Since 1978, all German funds
provided as part of government level
cooperation have been in the form of nonrepayable grants.
Bangladesh is a priority partner country of
German Development Cooperation (GTZ).
By an agreement between both the
government adopted in May 2004, the
activities of the GTZ focus on three

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes

priority areas such as healthcare including

family planning, economic reform and
development of the market system
through promotion of private sector,
especially small and medium enterprises
(SMEs), and renewable energies. Among
the other ongoing projects the promotion
of legal and social empowerment of
women in Bangladesh is also to be
mentioned. The sustainable economic
development programme of GTZ in
Bangladesh contributes to the
competitiveness of the ready-made
garments (RMG) sector, as well as other
export-oriented sectors like silk, leather
and jute.
In trade with Germany, Bangladesh has
for years recorded a large surplus.
Germany is the second largest export
market of Bangladesh after the US.
Bangladesh exports in Germany in 2006
amounted to 1.56 billion as compared
with Bangladesh imports in the same
period of only 305 million. About 94% of
the exports from Bangladesh to Germany
are RMGs and Bangladesh imports mainly
comprising machinery, chemical and
electrical goods, and medicines. A
German-Bangladeshi investment
promotion and protection agreement has
been in force since 1986 and a bilateral
double taxation accord since 1993. So far
German direct investments in Bangladesh
are almost 60 million. The BangladeshGerman Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (BGCCI) acts as a business
platform and mediator between both the
countries.
The cultural relationship of both the

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes

countries is very strong. The cultural

cooperation between them is mainly
channeled through the Goethe Institute
that work on developing the cultural ties
between both the countries by sponsoring
local and German cultural activities.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical
connection with Germany. There is a
century-old exchange between German
and Bengali people. German interest in
the culture of Bengal dates back to the
visits to Germany by the Bengali national
poet and Nobel laureate for literature
Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s and
1930s. Many Bangladeshi intellectuals
take a keen and informed interest in
German literature, art, architecture and
philosophy. In Bangladesh Goethe Institute
is the main meeting place for all those
interested in Germany.
Goethe-Institute Dhaka with headquarters
in Munich offers a broad variety of cultural
events to present the German culture in
Bangladesh through its main activities by
film-workshops, film-presentations,
seminars and lectures on socio-political
subjects as well as on aspects on
contemporary arts, theatre performances,
and exhibitions of German and
Bangladeshi artists.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical
connection with Germany, and both the
countries enjoy closest ties. There are
increasing contracts amongst German and
Bangladeshi artists, primarily in the fine
arts, photography/film and theatre.
Bangladeshi artists have been able to
exhibit in German galleries and museums.
A number of visual artists from

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes

Bangladesh have also made Germany

their new home. Germany continues to
promote the restoration of historical
monuments, archaeological research and
the unique legacy of the Bengali
catamarans. Since 1981, a cooperation
agreement has been in place between
Radio Bangladesh and Deutsche Welle
(DW).
The bilateral commercial and trade
interests of both the countries are
continuing, although there is considerable
scope for greater engagement. Bilateral
relations got some momentum by several
high level visits, contracts, and political
and economic dialogue. In December
2000, the then head of the government of
Bangladesh officially visited Germany. In
February 2004, a German nine-member
parliamentary delegation also visited
Bangladesh.

Greec Hellenic
Republic
Italy Italian
Republic

Both Germany and Bangladesh share

common views on various international
issues and work together in the UN and in
other international forum. They have
maintained and developed close and
friendly relations in a wide range of field.
The two countries are harmonized
together by their commitment to various
sectors mutually agreed upon, which is
expected to be strengthened further in
future.
See Bangladesh-Greece relations
See BangladeshItaly relations
Relations between two countries have
been wonderful. Bangladesh is a huge
import market for Italy. Italy has an

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Unite United
d
Kingdom of
Kingdom Great Britain
& Northern
Ireland (UK)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes
embassy in Dhaka. Bangladesh has an
Embassy in Rome. Relations have been
warm. Italy is one of the biggest export
partner of Bangladesh.
See BangladeshUnited Kingdom relations
and British Bangladeshi
The ties between Britain and Bangladesh
date back to the British Raj. During the
Bangladesh Liberation War Britain offered
shelter to diplomats and people who
escaped the conflict. The government,
politicians and the media were also critical
of the atrocities and shown empathy for
the Mukti Bahini. On February 4, 1972
Britain recognised Bangladesh, this
eventually led to recognition from other
European and Commonwealth nations and
Bangladesh's induction into the
Commonwealth on April 18, 1972. Britain
holds the largest Bangladeshi diaspora in
the western world, now numbered at
around 500,000, most of them can trace
their ties to the region of Sylhet. Britain
also holds the largest open air Asian
festival in Europe called Baishakhi Mela, a
Bangladeshi event held in London.
There has been numerous delegation
visits since Foreign Secretary Sir Alec
Douglas-Home visited Bangladesh in June
1972. The first visit by a prime minister
was James Callaghan in 1978. Other prime
ministers who had visited Bangladesh are
John Major in a 3-day visit between 1012
January 1997 and Tony Blair in 2002.
Presidents and Prime Ministers of
Bangladesh such as Sheikh Mujib, Ziaur
Rahman and Fakhruddin Ahmed have
visited the UK.

Country

Country
(Official
Name)

Formal
Relatio
ns
Began

Notes

In March 2008, Fakhruddin Ahmed had

visited Number 10 to discuss increasing
British investment and cooperation in
defence and trade, especially on counterterrorism and duty-free access for LDCs.[77]
Britain is the largest foreign investor in
Bangladesh and the third biggest export
destination for Bangladeshi goods after
USA and Germany.
At the 7th ISS Asia Security Summit (also
known as Shangri-La Dialogue) in
Singapore, Bangladesh's Foreign advisor
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury met with UK's
Defence Minister Des Browne at the
sidelines to discuss security and defense
relations between the two countries.
Browne says he hoped that Bangladesh's
modernising values can reach the
Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK.[78]
North America
Formal
Country
Relatio
Country
Notes
(Official Name)
ns
Began
Canada Canada
See Bangladesh-Canada Relation and
Bangladeshi Canadian
Relations between the two countries are
positive and there are approximately
24,595 Canadians of Bangladeshi origin
living in Canada.
United United States 4 April See Bangladesh-United States relations
States
of America
1972
and Bangladeshi American
The United States is an aid donor to
Bangladesh. It provides assistance
during natural calamities. In the post
9/11 scenario, American policy-makers

Formal
Country
Relatio
Country
(Official Name)
ns
Began

Notes

expressed support for moderation in

Bangladesh. The US State Department
voiced support for free elections before
2008 ends. Approximately 150,000
citizens are of Bangladeshi origin with
the majority in professional jobs.

Bangladesh has an embassy in

Washington, DC and has
consulates-general in Los Angeles
and New York City.[81]

United States has an embassy in

Dhaka.[82]

South America
Formal
Country
Relatio
Country
Notes
(Official Name)
ns
Began
Argenti Argentine
See ArgentinaBangladesh relations
na
Republic
See Bangladesh-Brazil relations
Brazil Federative
Republic of
Bangladesh's only embassy in South
Brazil
America is located in Brazil. Trade is the
primary part of their relations exporting
raw materials such as metals from its
open mines and importing
pharmaceutical products from
Bangladesh.[citation needed]
Disputes - international
India

6.5 km of the border between India and Bangladesh remains to be

demarcated.
Ongoing discussions with Bangladesh to exchange 162 minuscule
enclaves between the two.

Maritime boundary dispute.

Pakistan

Pre-1971 resource distribution.

Relocating Bihari Paksitanis who are left behind since 1971.

Apologizing for 1971 massacre.

Syrian Civil War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"War in Syria" redirects here. For other wars in Syria, see Syrian War
(disambiguation).

The Syrian Civil War (Arabic: ) also (Arabic: The

Syrian Crisis), also known as the Syrian Uprising, is an ongoing armed
conflict taking place in Syria. The unrest began in the early spring of 2011
within the context of Arab Spring protests, with nationwide protests against
President Bashar al-Assad's government, whose forces responded with
violent crackdowns. The conflict gradually morphed from prominent protests
to an armed rebellion after months of military sieges.[67]
The armed opposition consists of various groups that were formed during the
course of the conflict, primarily the Free Syrian Army, which was the first to
take up arms in 2011, and the Islamic Front formed in 2013. In 2013,
Hezbollah entered the war in support of the Syrian army.[68][69] In the east, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a jihadist militant group
originating from Iraq, made rapid military gains in both Syria and Iraq,
eventually conflicting with the other rebels. In July 2014, ISIL controlled a
third of Syria's territory and most of its oil and gas production, thus
establishing itself as the major opposition force.[70]
By July 2013, the Syrian government was in control of approximately 3040%
of the country's territory and 60% of the Syrian population. [71] A United
Nations report in late 2012 described the conflict as being "overtly sectarian
in nature", between mostly Alawite government forces, militias and other
Shia groups[72] fighting largely against Sunni-dominated rebel groups,[73][74]
although both opposition and government forces have denied it.[75][76] Due to
foreign involvement this conflict has been called a proxy war.[77]

As of January 2015 the death toll had risen above 220,000.[78] International
organizations have accused the Syrian government, ISIS and other
opposition forces of severe human rights violations, with many massacres
occurring.[79][80][81][82][83] Chemical weapons have been used many times during
the conflict as well.[84] The Syrian government is reportedly responsible for
the majority of civilian casualties, often through bombings.[79][81][85] In
addition, tens of thousands of protesters and activists have been imprisoned
and there are reports of torture in state prisons.[86][87][88][89]
The severity of the humanitarian disaster in Syria has been outlined by the
UN and many international organizations. More than 6.5 million Syrians have
been displaced, approaching 4 million Syrians have fled the country to
countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt and become
refugees, and millions more have been left in poor living conditions with
shortages of food and drinking water. Additionally, in the territories
controlled by the government, the population has to suffer many hardships:
from severe scarcity of electricity, to a critical economic situation (e.g. the
prices have skyrocketed due to the collapse of the Syrian pound, leading, as
well, to a critical rise in unemployment), to control of the population
movements through security checkpoints. The latter is also utilized by the
regime to arrest, execute or torture to death whoever is deemed sympathizer
of the opposition groups or is planning to leave the country in order not to
join the regime's army.[90] At the end of August 2014, 35,000 refugees were
awaiting registration, while estimates of several hundred thousand more
were not included in official figures as they were unregistered.
Syrian Civil War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"War in Syria" redirects here. For other wars in Syria, see Syrian War
(disambiguation).
The Syrian Civil War (Arabic: ) also (Arabic: The
Syrian Crisis), also known as the Syrian Uprising, is an ongoing armed
conflict taking place in Syria. The unrest began in the early spring of 2011
within the context of Arab Spring protests, with nationwide protests against
President Bashar al-Assad's government, whose forces responded with
violent crackdowns. The conflict gradually morphed from prominent protests
to an armed rebellion after months of military sieges.[67]
The armed opposition consists of various groups that were formed during the
course of the conflict, primarily the Free Syrian Army, which was the first to
take up arms in 2011, and the Islamic Front formed in 2013. In 2013,
Hezbollah entered the war in support of the Syrian army.[68][69] In the east, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a jihadist militant group
originating from Iraq, made rapid military gains in both Syria and Iraq,

eventually conflicting with the other rebels. In July 2014, ISIL controlled a
third of Syria's territory and most of its oil and gas production, thus
establishing itself as the major opposition force.[70]
By July 2013, the Syrian government was in control of approximately 3040%
of the country's territory and 60% of the Syrian population. [71] A United
Nations report in late 2012 described the conflict as being "overtly sectarian
in nature", between mostly Alawite government forces, militias and other
Shia groups[72] fighting largely against Sunni-dominated rebel groups,[73][74]
although both opposition and government forces have denied it.[75][76] Due to
foreign involvement this conflict has been called a proxy war.[77]
As of January 2015 the death toll had risen above 220,000.[78] International
organizations have accused the Syrian government, ISIS and other
opposition forces of severe human rights violations, with many massacres
occurring.[79][80][81][82][83] Chemical weapons have been used many times during
the conflict as well.[84] The Syrian government is reportedly responsible for
the majority of civilian casualties, often through bombings.[79][81][85] In
addition, tens of thousands of protesters and activists have been imprisoned
and there are reports of torture in state prisons.[86][87][88][89]
The severity of the humanitarian disaster in Syria has been outlined by the
UN and many international organizations. More than 6.5 million Syrians have
been displaced, approaching 4 million Syrians have fled the country to
countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt and become
refugees, and millions more have been left in poor living conditions with
shortages of food and drinking water. Additionally, in the territories
controlled by the government, the population has to suffer many hardships:
from severe scarcity of electricity, to a critical economic situation (e.g. the
prices have skyrocketed due to the collapse of the Syrian pound, leading, as
well, to a critical rise in unemployment), to control of the population
movements through security checkpoints. The latter is also utilized by the
regime to arrest, execute or torture to death whoever is deemed sympathizer
of the opposition groups or is planning to leave the country in order not to
join the regime's army.[90] At the end of August 2014, 35,000 refugees were
awaiting registration, while estimates of several hundred thousand more
were not included in official figures as they were unregistered.
Wall Street
The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, the world's largest stock
exchange per total market capitalization of its listed companies.[1]Wall
Street is a 0.7-mile-long (1.1 km) street running eight blocks, roughly
northwest to southeast, from Broadway to South Street on the East River in
Lower Manhattan in the Financial District of New York City.[2] Over time, the
term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States

as a whole, the American financial sector (even if financial firms are not
physically located there), or signifying New York-based financial interests.[3]
Anchored by Wall Street, New York City has been called both the most
economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, [4][5][6]
[7][8]
and the city is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total
market capitalization, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.[9][1] Several
other major exchanges have or had headquarters in the Wall Street area,
including the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade,
and the former American Stock Exchange.
Tariff- A tarif is a tax on imports or exports (an international trade tariff). In
other languages and very occasionally in English, "tariff" or its equivalent
may also be used to describe any list of prices (electrical tariff, etc.).
A value-added tax (VAT) or also General Sales tax (GST) is a form of
consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the
purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the value added to
a product, material, or service, from an accounting point of view, by this
stage of its manufacture or distribution. The manufacturer remits to the
government the difference between these two amounts, and retains the rest
for themselves to offset the taxes they had previously paid on the inputs.The
purpose of VAT is to generate tax revenues to the government similar to the
corporate income tax or the personal income tax.The value added to a
product by or with a business is the sale price charged to its customer, minus
the cost of materials and other taxable inputs. A VAT is like a sales tax in that
ultimately only the end consumer is taxed. It differs from the sales tax in
that, with the latter, the tax is collected and remitted to the government only
once, at the point of purchase by the end consumer. With the VAT,
collections, remittances to the government, and credits for taxes already
paid occur each time a business in the supply chain purchases products.
SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA)
In December 1991, the Sixth Summit held in Colombo approved the
establishment of an Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) to formulate an
agreement to establish a SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA)
by 1997. Given the consensus within SAARC, the Agreement on SAPTA was
signed on 11 April 1993 and entered into force on 7 December 1995 well in
advance of the date stipulated by the Colombo Summit. The Agreement
reflected the desire of the Member States to promote and sustain mutual
trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region through the
exchange of concessions.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an

economic and geopolitical organisation of eight countries that are primarily
located in South Asia.[12] The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu,
Nepal.[13] The combined economy of SAARC is the 3rd largest in the world in
the terms of GDP(PPP) after the United States and China and 5th largest in
the terms of nominal GDP. SAARC nations comprise 3% of the world's area
and contain 21% (around 1.7 billion) of the world's total population and
around 9.12% of Global economy as of 2015. India makes up over 70% of the
area and population among these eight nations. All non-Indian member
states except Afghanistan share borders with India but only two other
members, Pakistan and Afghanistan, have a border with each other. During
2005-10, the average GDP growth rate of SAARC stood at an impressive
8.8% p.a., but it slowed to 6.5% in 2011 largely because of economic
slowdown in India, which accounts for nearly 80% of SAARC's economy.But
Driven by a strong expansion in India, coupled with favorable oil prices,from
the last quarter of 2014 South Asia become the fastest-growing region in the
world[14].The idea of regional political and economical cooperation in South
Asia was first raised in 2 May 1980 by Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman
and the first summit was held in Dhaka on 8 December 1985, when the
organisation was established by the governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.[15][16] Since then the
organisation has expanded by accepting one new full member, Afghanistan,
[17]
and several observer members.[15]The SAARC policies aim to promote
welfare economics, collective self-reliance among the countries of South
Asia, and to accelerate socio-cultural development in the region.[18] The
SAARC has developed external relations by establishing permanent
diplomatic relations with the EU, the UN (as an observer), and other
multilateral entities.[18] The official meetings of the leaders of each nation are
held annually whilst the foreign ministers meet twice annually.[18] The 18th
SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu from 2627 November 2014.
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of
items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations
and governments, for very formal and state occasions, especially where
diplomats are present. It can also be used in the context of decorations,
medals and awards. Historically, the order of precedence had a more
widespread use, especially in court and aristocratic life.
One's position in an order of precedence is not necessarily an indication of
functional importance, but rather an indication of ceremonial or historical
relevance; for instance, it may dictate where dignitaries are seated at formal
dinners. The term is occasionally used to mean the order of succession to
determine who replaces the head of state in the event he or she is removed
from office or incapacitated.

What follows are the general orders of precedence for different countries for
state purposes, such as diplomatic dinners, and are made under the
assumption that such functions are held in the capital. When they are held in
another city or region, local officials such as governors would be much higher
up the order. There may also be more specific and local orders of
precedence, for particular occasions or within particular institutions.
Universities and the professions often have their own rules of precedence
applying locally, based (for example) on university or professional rank, each
rank then being ordered within itself on the basis of seniority (i.e. date of
attaining that rank). Within an institution the officials of that institution are
likely to rank much higher in the order than in a general order of precedence
- the chancellor or president of a university may well precede anyone except
a head of state for example. The same might be true for a mayor in his own
city.
The Commonwealth of Nations, commonly known as the
Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth),[1] is an
intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states[2] that were mostly
territories of the former British Empire. The Commonwealth operates by
intergovernmental consensus of the member states, organised through the
Commonwealth Secretariat, and non-governmental organisations, organised
through the Commonwealth Foundation.[3]
The Commonwealth dates back to the mid 20th century with the
decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its
territories. It was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949,
which established the member states as "free and equal". [4] The symbol of
this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the
Commonwealth. The Queen is also the monarch of 16 members of the
Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms. The other members of the
Commonwealth have different persons as head of state: 32 members are
republics and five members are monarchies with a different
monarch.Member states have no legal obligation to one another. Instead,
they are united by language, history, culture, and their shared values of
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.[3] These values are enshrined
in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial
Commonwealth Games. On 3 October 2013, after 48 years of membership,
Gambia became the most recent nation to withdraw from the
Commonwealth.The Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2
(11,566,870 sq mi), almost a quarter of the world land area, and spans all
the continents. With an estimated population of 2.328 billion, near a third of
the world population,[7] the Commonwealth in 2014 produced a nominal
gross domestic product (GDP) of $10.45 trillion, representing 17% of the
gross world product when measured in purchasing power parity (PPP) and
14% of the gross world product when measured nominally.

The Group of Seven (G7, formerly G8) is a governmental forum of leading

advanced economies in the world. It was originally formed by six leading
industrial countries and subsequently extended with two additional
members, one of which, Russia, is suspended.[1][2][3][4] Since 2014, the G8 in
effect comprises seven nations and the European Union as the eighth
member.
The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought
together representatives of six governments: France, West Germany, Italy,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name
Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or
G7 in 1976 with the addition of Canada. The G7 is composed of the seven
wealthiest developed countries on earth (by national net wealth or by
GDP[5]), and it remained active even during the period of the G8. Russia was
added to the group from 1998 to 2014, which then became known as the G8.
The European Union was represented within the G8 since the 1980s but
could not host or chair summits.[6] The 40th summit was the first time the
European Union was able to host and chair a summit."G8" can refer to the
member states in aggregate or to the annual summit meeting of the G8
heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the
six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also
meet throughout the year, such as the G7 finance ministers (who meet four
times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers.Collectively,
in 2012 the G8 nations composed 50.1 percent of 2012 global nominal GDP
and 40.9 percent of global GDP (PPP). Each calendar year the responsibility
of hosting the G8 is rotated through the member states in the following
order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy,
and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit
for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place.
Both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the
group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five
(O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil (7th country in the world by nominal GDP,[5])
People's Republic of China (2nd country in the world by GDP,[5]) India (10th
country in the world by GDP,[7]) Mexico, and South Africa. These countries
have participated as guests in meetings that are sometimes called
G8+5.With the G-20 major economies growing in stature since the 2008
Washington summit, world leaders from the group announced at their
Pittsburgh summit on September 25, 2009, that the group would replace the
G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations.[8][9] Today, G8 meetings
are held with the purpose of discussing global issues such as economic
growth, crisis management, global security, energy, and terrorism without
the governments of the developing nations, who have their own major forum
(BRICS).[10]On March 24, 2014, the original G7 nations voted to, in effect,
suspend Russia from the organization in response to the country's
annexation of Crimea;[11][12][13] however, it was made clear that the
suspension was temporary.[14] Later on, the Italian Foreign Affairs minister

Federica Mogherini and other Italian authorities,[15][16] along with the EastWest
Institute board member Wolfgang Ischinger,[17] suggested that Russia may
restore its membership in the group, adding that the return to the G8 format
depends on Moscow and on Russian actions.
The 6 Points:
The six points are noted as being: 1.The constitution should provide for a
Federation of Pakistan in its true sense based on the parliamentary form of
government with supremacy of a Legislature directly elected on the basis of
universal adult franchise. 2.The federal government should deal with only
two subjects: Defence and Foreign Affairs, and all other residual subjects
should be vested in the federating states. 3.Two separate, but freely
convertible currencies for two wings should be introduced; or if this is not
feasible, there should be one currency for the whole country, but effective
constitutional provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital
from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a separate Banking Reserve should
be established and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East
Pakistan. 4.The power of taxation and revenue collection should be vested in
the federating units and the federal centre would have no such power. The
federation would be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its
expenditures. 5.There should be two separate accounts for the foreign
exchange earnings of the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of
the federal government should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio
to be fixed; indigenous products should move free of duty between the two
wings, and the constitution should empower the units to establish trade links
with foreign countries. 6.East Pakistan should have a separate militia or
paramilitary force.
The Indemnity Act of Bangladesh was formulated to give immunity from
legal action to the persons involved in the assassination of president Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman. The assassination took place on August 15, 1975[1] As the
parliament was not in session, the Act was promulgated on September 26,
1975, in the form of an Ordinance by president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, a
close political associate of Sheikh Mujib and a cabinet Minister, who was
made the president of the country following the killing of Sheikh Mujib. It was
titled Indemnity Ordinance 1975, being Ordinance No. 50 of 1975. Later it
was ratified by the Bangladesh Parliament in due course, when the
parliament was constituted in 1979, and became an Act, that is, a formal
statute, following the ratification. By dint of the 5th amendment to the
constitution brought about in 9 July 1979, the Indeminity Act became
enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh. After Awami League formed
government with Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujib, as
Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Parliament scrapped the Indemnity Act on
12 November 1996.[2] This paved the way for the trial of the killers Sheikh

Mujib. On February, 2010 the 5th amendment to the constitution was

declared illegal by the High Court of Bangladesh. [3]

History
The university has a history that started in 1858 when Dhaka Brahma School
was founded in 1858 by Dinanath Sen, Prabhaticharan Roy, Anathbandhu
Mallik and Brajasundar Kaitra. The name Jagannath school was given by
Kishorilal Chowdhury, the Zamindar of Baliati in Manikganj, who took over
the school in 1872 and renamed it after his father. In 1884, it was raised to a
second grade college. Law was one of the first courses introduced. A
common management committee administered the school and college until
1887, when the school section was separated to form the independent
Kishore Jubilee School. It is now known as K L Jubilee School. The
administration of the college was transferred to a board of trustees in 1907.
In the following year, it became a first grade college.
The college started with 48 students and in five years, the roll raised to 396.
In 1910, Raja Manmath Roy Chowdhury, the zamindar of Santosh, Tangail,
affiliated the Pramath-Manmath College of Tangail with Jagannath College.
With the establishment of University of Dhaka in 1921, it stopped admission
to degree courses and was renamed Jagannath Intermediate College. This
status was changed after 28 years in 1949, when it reopened degree classes.
The college was taken over by the government in 1968.
Jagannath College opened honours and masters programmes in 1975. That
year the government once again took over the college and upgraded it into a
postgraduate college. In 1982, the college closed its programmes at
intermediate level. The college introduced evening shifts in 1992.
It was transformed into Jagannath University in 2005 by passing a bill named
Jagannath University Act-2005 in the national parliament.
How the US Helped Create Al Qaeda and ISIS
by GARIKAI CHENGU
Much like Al Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS) is made-in-the-USA, an
instrument of terror designed to divide and conquer the oil-rich Middle East
and to counter Irans growing influence in the region.
The fact that the United States has a long and torrid history of backing
terrorist groups will surprise only those who watch the news and ignore
history.

The CIA first aligned itself with extremist Islam during the Cold War era. Back
then, America saw the world in rather simple terms: on one side, the Soviet
Union and Third World nationalism, which America regarded as a Soviet tool;
on the other side, Western nations and militant political Islam, which America
considered an ally in the struggle against the Soviet Union.
The director of the National Security Agency under Ronald Reagan, General
William Odom recently remarked, by any measure the U.S. has long used
terrorism. In 1978-79 the Senate was trying to pass a law against
international terrorism in every version they produced, the lawyers said the
U.S. would be in violation.
During the 1970s the CIA used the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a barrier,
both to thwart Soviet expansion and prevent the spread of Marxist ideology
among the Arab masses. The United States also openly supported Sarekat
Islam against Sukarno in Indonesia, and supported the Jamaat-e-Islami terror
group against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in Pakistan. Last but certainly not least,
there is Al Qaeda.
Lest we forget, the CIA gave birth to Osama Bin Laden and breastfed his
organization during the 1980s. Former British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook,
told the House of Commons that Al Qaeda was unquestionably a product of
Western intelligence agencies. Mr. Cook explained that Al Qaeda, which
literally means an abbreviation of the database in Arabic, was originally the
computer database of the thousands of Islamist extremists, who were trained
by the CIA and funded by the Saudis, in order to defeat the Russians in
Afghanistan.
Americas relationship with Al Qaeda has always been a love-hate affair.
Depending on whether a particular Al Qaeda terrorist group in a given region
furthers American interests or not, the U.S. State Department either funds or
aggressively targets that terrorist group. Even as American foreign policy
makers claim to oppose Muslim extremism, they knowingly foment it as a
weapon of foreign policy.
The Islamic State is its latest weapon that, much like Al Qaeda, is certainly
backfiring. ISIS recently rose to international prominence after its thugs
began beheading American journalists. Now the terrorist group controls an
area the size of the United Kingdom.
In order to understand why the Islamic State has grown and flourished so
quickly, one has to take a look at the organizations American-backed roots.
The 2003 American invasion and occupation of Iraq created the preconditions for radical Sunni groups, like ISIS, to take root. America, rather
unwisely, destroyed Saddam Husseins secular state machinery and replaced
it with a predominantly Shiite administration. The U.S. occupation caused

vast unemployment in Sunni areas, by rejecting socialism and closing down

factories in the naive hope that the magical hand of the free market would
create jobs. Under the new U.S.-backed Shiite regime, working class Sunnis
lost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Unlike the white Afrikaners in South
Africa, who were allowed to keep their wealth after regime change, upper
class Sunnis were systematically dispossessed of their assets and lost their
political influence. Rather than promoting religious integration and unity,
American policy in Iraq exacerbated sectarian divisions and created a fertile
breading ground for Sunni discontent, from which Al Qaeda in Iraq took root.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) used to have a different name: Al
Qaeda in Iraq. After 2010 the group rebranded and refocused its efforts on
Syria.
There are essentially three wars being waged in Syria: one between the
government and the rebels, another between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and yet
another between America and Russia. It is this third, neo-Cold War battle that
made U.S. foreign policy makers decide to take the risk of arming Islamist
rebels in Syria, because Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, is a key Russian
ally. Rather embarrassingly, many of these Syrian rebels have now turned
out to be ISIS thugs, who are openly brandishing American-made M16
Assault rifles.
Americas Middle East policy revolves around oil and Israel. The invasion of
Iraq has partially satisfied Washingtons thirst for oil, but ongoing air strikes
in Syria and economic sanctions on Iran have everything to do with Israel.
The goal is to deprive Israels neighboring enemies, Lebanons Hezbollah and
Palestines Hamas, of crucial Syrian and Iranian support.
ISIS is not merely an instrument of terror used by America to topple the
Syrian government; it is also used to put pressure on Iran.
The last time Iran invaded another nation was in 1738. Since independence
in 1776, the U.S. has been engaged in over 53 military invasions and
expeditions. Despite what the Western medias war cries would have you
believe, Iran is clearly not the threat to regional security, Washington is. An
Intelligence Report published in 2012, endorsed by all sixteen U.S.
intelligence agencies, confirms that Iran ended its nuclear weapons program
in 2003. Truth is, any Iranian nuclear ambition, real or imagined, is as a result
of American hostility towards Iran, and not the other way around.
America is using ISIS in three ways: to attack its enemies in the Middle East,
to serve as a pretext for U.S. military intervention abroad, and at home to
foment a manufactured domestic threat, used to justify the unprecedented
expansion of invasive domestic surveillance.

By rapidly increasing both government secrecy and surveillance, Mr.

Obamas government is increasing its power to watch its citizens, while
diminishing its citizens power to watch their government. Terrorism is an
excuse to justify mass surveillance, in preparation for mass revolt.
The so-called War on Terror should be seen for what it really is: a pretext
for maintaining a dangerously oversized U.S. military. The two most powerful
groups in the U.S. foreign policy establishment are the Israel lobby, which
directs U.S. Middle East policy, and the Military-Industrial-Complex, which
profits from the former groups actions. Since George W. Bush declared the
War on Terror in October 2001, it has cost the American taxpayer
approximately 6.6 trillion dollars and thousands of fallen sons and daughters;
but, the wars have also raked in billions of dollars for Washingtons military
elite.
In fact, more than seventy American companies and individuals have won up
to $27 billion in contracts for work in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan over the
last three years, according to a recent study by the Center for Public
Integrity. According to the study, nearly 75 per cent of these private
companies had employees or board members, who either served in, or had
close ties to, the executive branch of the Republican and Democratic
administrations, members of Congress, or the highest levels of the military.
In 1997, a U.S. Department of Defense report stated, the data show a
strong correlation between U.S. involvement abroad and an increase in
terrorist attacks against the U.S. Truth is, the only way America can win the
War On Terror is if it stops giving terrorists the motivation and the
resources to attack America. Terrorism is the symptom; American
imperialism in the Middle East is the cancer. Put simply, the War on Terror is
terrorism; only, it is conducted on a much larger scale by people with jets
and missiles.
Garikai Chengu is a research scholar at Harvard University.