China
New horizon for trade expansion likely to open
Honorable Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is set to visit China on the eve of 26th March 2025 where Chinese President Xi Jinping will send a special chartered flight for the Bangladeshi counterpart. This gesture of the Chinese president is a demonstration of his unwavering support for the Interim Government of Bangladesh culminating in deeper collaboration as enshrined in the amicable relationship between the two countries based on people-people diplomacy. China is a political partner and at the same time an Industrial and Business partner for Bangladesh. Bangladesh can explore a number of new opportunities for increasing bilateral trade and at the same time get support from China to be competitive in the Post-LDC stage.
Will the Chief adviser's visit to China cause conflict with the West?
The Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Dr Mohammad Yunus, is going to China on a 4-day state visit on March 26. This is Dr Mohammad Yunus' first bilateral state visit after assuming the responsibility of running the state. Therefore, this visit is of special significance for various reasons. This visit is an important issue in the geopolitical context of our country. A kind of activity of the United States can be seen to surround China. That activity continues. This activity continues, and under America’s initiative, the Quad alliance has been formed. The Quad, a coalition led by the United States, includes the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India. It is said that the Quad will work to ensure the security of its member countries. After being elected as the President of the United States for the second time, Donald Trump has started a trade war. It has already been announced that additional tariffs will be imposed on imported products from China, Canada and Brazil. The purpose of this trade war of the United States is to reduce the dominance of Chinese products in the country's domestic market. The economic conflict between China and the United States has been going on for a long time. It has become more widespread during Trump's time.
Graduation to the list of developing countries: Decisions must be based on reality
To qualify for graduation to the final list of developing countries, a nation must meet three essential criteria. Bangladesh has successfully met all of these conditions. After being under observation for several years, Bangladesh is set to officially graduate to the developing country category in 2026. This will be the most significant economic achievement for the country since its independence. No nation wants to remain a least developed country (LDC) indefinitely. Every country aspires to graduate to the developing nation category as quickly as possible. While LDCs receive certain benefits from developed nations, these privileges are often granted out of a sense of charity rather than respect. Thus, achieving developing country status is a matter of national pride.
Before signing an agreement with China, its preconditions must be verified
The Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Dr. Mohammad Yunus, is scheduled to visit China on a four-day state visit on March 26. This will be Dr. Mohammad Yunus' first bilateral state visit to China since taking over the responsibility of state administration. While there are various reasons why Dr. Yunus' visit to China is significant, the most important aspect is strengthening bilateral economic relations. The visit is also politically significant, but it is expected that economic issues will take precedence. China's economic influence worldwide cannot be denied. At present, China is one of the largest financial aid providers globally. China has been generously providing financial assistance to various countries, including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Deficits and tariffs: Trump confusions and what can be done about them
The US has a persistent trade deficit with Sri Lanka. Despite almost universal agreement among economists that trade deficits, especially between two countries, are not meaningful, President Trump believes otherwise. As he assumed office, he asked his officials to “investigate and remedy” persistent US trade deficits. Sri Lanka-US trade shows a deficit of USD 2.6 billion following an increase of 6.3 percent in 2024. Sri Lanka was responsible for 0.28 percent of the total US trade deficit. Even if it were eliminated, there would be no discernible impact on the total.
Al Jazeera reports on Teesta campaign
In demand for a fair share of water, a massive crowd gathered at the banks of the Teesta River on Tuesday (February 18). The campaign, demanding a fair share of Teesta water and the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan, began on Monday with a 48-hour program. On the previous day, sit-in protests were held simultaneously at 11 locations across five districts surrounding the Teesta River. Along with BNP leaders and activists, thousands of local residents participated in the program. Central leaders of the BNP also joined the demonstration.
End 'Might is Right' policy to uphold international laws
The primary objective of the United Nations Charter is to maintain international peace and security and to promote friendly relations among nations. The UN Charter is essentially a constitution, and a constitution is a form of law. According to Article 2 of the Charter, the preservation of the sovereignty and equality of all member states is the foundation of the United Nations. However, for several years now, many powerful nations, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council (those with veto power), have repeatedly violated this law. The United States, in particular, has consistently been a step ahead in this regard. China and Russia have not been far behind, and recently, India has also emerged as a violator. These nations are attacking Bangladesh's sovereignty by violating international law. It seems as though the "might is right" mentality is prevailing. If this continues, what is the purpose of the establishment of the United Nations? Have the powerful states forgotten the bloodshed and humanitarian crises on which the United Nations was founded?
State action needed to harness demographic dividend
In the 1980s, the then military dictator General HM Ershad described uncontrolled population growth as the "number one national problem." Although his statement created a stir at the time, it was a completely misleading comment. Population growth, whether planned or unplanned, can never be the number one national problem for a country. Population is an irreplaceable resource. The progress of the world cannot be imagined without it. If population is systematically trained and transformed into a skilled and productive workforce, it becomes the nation's greatest asset. However, if population growth is unmanaged, it becomes a burden for the country. The responsibility of turning the population into human capital lies solely with the state. The state cannot escape the blame for its failure to do so.
What will Trump’s policy be on Bangladeshi immigrants?
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States for a second term on January 20, with a stern stance against undocumented immigrants. In his inaugural speech, he declared, “America’s golden era begins today,” and emphasized his “America First” policy, vowing to restore sovereignty and security. He proclaimed, “We will become the envy of every nation. No one will exploit us anymore. Today marks the end of America’s decline. God has kept me alive to make America great again.”
Is Trump's era the start of a new world order?
Donald Trump is set to take the oath as the elected president of the United States. In the current era, nearly every country in the world has some form of relationship with others. These relationships can be either friendly or adversarial, meaning that every country, especially major powers, has interests intertwined with others. Accordingly, the United States, the world’s largest economy and military power, has commercial, military, and even ideological ties or conflicts with nearly every country. These relationships also experience ups and downs. It is important to note that those who believe that US foreign policy does not change regardless of which party forms the government are influenced by outdated thinking. Such thinking is old-fashioned, a relic of the Cold War era, when the US maintained consistent policies toward the Soviet Union and the countries in the socialist bloc, regardless of which party was in power. However, that bloc has now collapsed, and even large socialist countries like China are now operating under free-market principles.
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