Bangladesh, UAE push to deepen strategic partnership
Diplomatic Correspondent :
Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates have reaffirmed their intent to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic and economic partnership, with a renewed focus on accelerating negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The commitment came as UAE Ambassador Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi paid a courtesy call on the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. The meeting underscored what both sides described as a longstanding friendship that is steadily evolving into a broader strategic engagement.
The Foreign Minister conveyed appreciation for greetings from the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and reiterated Dhaka’s resolve, under its “Bangladesh First” policy, to expand cooperation with Abu Dhabi across priority sectors.
Here’s the thing: the relationship is no longer confined to labour and remittances. It is now tilting toward trade architecture, energy security, and infrastructure financing.
Both sides discussed fast-tracking CEPA negotiations, which are expected to unlock greater market access, stimulate investment flows, and formalize economic cooperation in a structured framework.
Energy collaboration, infrastructure development, and public-private partnership (PPP) projects featured prominently in the talks. Bangladesh sees the UAE not only as a destination for its workforce but also as a potential anchor investor in its next phase of growth.
The Foreign Minister expressed appreciation for the UAE’s continued hosting of around 1.2 million Bangladeshi expatriates and sought the reopening of labour visas. He also requested facilitation of greater mobility, including business and transit visas, signaling Dhaka’s desire to ease movement in both directions.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to broadening cooperation across sectors and strengthening people-to-people connectivity, describing mobility and economic integration as mutually reinforcing pillars of the partnership.
Earlier in the day, the UAE Ambassador also met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. She emphasized the importance of regular high-level exchanges and more frequent meetings of existing bilateral mechanisms to identify new opportunities and sustain momentum in cooperation.
What this really means is that Dhaka and Abu Dhabi are attempting to shift the relationship from transactional to strategic — from remittance-driven engagement to structured economic alignment. Whether CEPA negotiations move swiftly will likely determine how fast that transition materializes.
