A question frequently arises regarding Bangladesh's foreign policy: Will the country lean more toward India, China, the United States, or some other power? While the question is intriguing, it is not particularly useful for governance. This is because modern international relations are built on specific exchanges of mutual interest, rather than permanent allegiance.

A single state can be a security partner with one country, a technology partner with another, a trade partner with a third, and a labour market partner with a fourth. Bangladesh now needs to create a map of partnership based on needs instead of choosing friends.

This necessity has become even more urgent. Bangladesh is set to graduate from the list of least developed countries on 24 November 2026. This graduation is prestigious but could also change certain trade benefits, special market access, and types of international aid.

The country's exports remain overly dependent on a few markets and garments. In 2025, about 94 per cent of the European Union's imports from Bangladesh were textile products, amounting to 23. 3 billion euros in goods trade. Therefore, in the next stage of Bangladesh's diplomacy, it is crucial to have measurable outcomes in terms of market acquisition, skills, technology, mobility, and knowledge.

Bangladesh's priority is India, which is not an emotional decision but a geographic necessity. Almost the entire land border of Bangladesh is surrounded by India; in terms of rivers, borders, electricity, roads, railways, seaports, the communication in Northeast India, and Bangladesh's access to Nepal-Bhutan, India is indispensable.