Kuala lumpur: Bangladesh is stepping up its bid to be a sectoral dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus emphasising the country’s economic and strategic advantages as key to deepening ties with the bloc. Prof Yunus highlighted that Bangladesh’s population of more than 170 million offers ASEAN both a substantial market and an available workforce for regional industries, while its untapped economic potential presents significant opportunities for collaboration and growth.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Yunus noted the unexplored investment opportunities with Myanmar, particularly in deep sea fishing, as both countries share access to the ocean. He shared these insights during an interview with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) on the sidelines of his official visit to Malaysia. The South Asian nation has sought sectoral dialogue partner status with ASEAN, and this pursuit has gained momentum since Yunus assumed leadership of the Bangladeshi interim government in August last year.
During his official visit to Malaysia from August 11 to 13, the Nobel Prize Laureate discussed the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN Chair. Yunus highlighted the supportive stance of the Prime Minister on Bangladesh’s aspirations to join ASEAN, which had been a topic of discussion since Yunus’s visit on October 4 of the previous year.
Prof Yunus acknowledged potential resistance from some ASEAN member states but remained optimistic about Bangladesh’s prospects. “It will take time. We will not give up. We have very good reasons to explain to them, that we are neighbours,” he stated. He emphasized the importance of gaining support from within ASEAN to advance Bangladesh’s bid further.
Bangladesh has been a party to ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) since 2007 and participates in the ASEAN Regional Forum. In 2013, Bangladesh accredited its first Ambassador to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Committee in Dhaka was established the following year to promote ASEAN’s profile and cooperation with Bangladesh.
ASEAN, established on August 8, 1967, currently comprises 10 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Economic relations between ASEAN and Bangladesh have been on the rise, with two-way trade reaching US$6.16 billion in 2023-24. Bangladesh, the second-largest economy in South Asia, is a significant player in the Asia-Pacific region, ranking 35th globally in nominal terms and 25th by purchasing power parity.