Ziaur Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Foreign Policy

Through the founding of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on September 1, 1978, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman did not merely establish a new political platform in Bangladesh; rather, he forged an integrated structural relationship among state philosophy, national identity, economic development and foreign policy.

His propounded “Bangladeshi Nationalism” stood at the core of this political vision.

Combining territorial integrity, inclusive citizenship, national sovereignty, pluralism, and economic self-reliance, he sought to carve out a distinct identity for Bangladesh on the global stage.

Understanding Ziaur Rahman’s international outlook solely through the lens of rapprochement with the Muslim world or diplomatic outreach toward China and the West fails to capture its full significance.

The essence of his foreign policy rested on avoiding dependency on any single power bloc, embracing Strategic Diversification, maintaining Multilateral Balancing, and anchoring diplomacy strictly to the core of national interest.

In Bangladesh’s political and diplomatic history, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was a true son of the soil whose patriotism and principled leadership were forged in 1971 through the historic declaration of independence and front-line armed struggle.

Deeply attuned to the realities of the land and the aspirations of its people, he introduced a visionary, welfare-oriented foreign policy widely recognized by international analysts as one of the most successful diplomatic eras in the country’s history.

Under his pragmatic leadership, a war-ravaged, nascent Bangladesh steered clear of subjugation to global superpowers, balanced multilateral relations, opened up the Middle Eastern labor market, secured a historic victory in the UN Security Council, and laid the foundations of SAARC- emerging as a dignified and sovereign state in the global arena.

In Ziaur Rahman’s political thought, “Bangladeshi Nationalism” served as the institutional framework for the country’s territorial and civic identity.

Without disregarding the foundational role of language and culture, he integrated territoriality, state sovereignty, the coexistence of diverse religious communities, and a shared political destiny.

Political scientist Marcus Franda, in his essay Ziaur Rahman and Bangladeshi Nationalism, demonstrated how Zia harmonized this concept to consolidate domestic political cohesion while safeguarding independent statehood abroad.

A central objective of Zia’s nationalism was establishing Bangladesh within a geopolitical and state identity that prevented it from falling under the shadow of any single regional hegemon. This commitment to sovereignty was profoundly reflected in his foreign policy.

He applied the constitutional principle of “Friendship to all, malice toward none” through the lens of Realpolitik.

When Ziaur Rahman assumed state responsibility, global politics was polarized by Cold War bipolarity.

In South Asia, the 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Pakistan-US ties, and the China-Pakistan axis created complex geopolitical pressures for Bangladesh.

Navigating this landscape without joining any specific camp, he built multifaceted international partnerships.

Expanding relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, Western Europe, China, Japan, the Muslim world and ASEAN became his foreign policy priority.

Concurrently, through active participation in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 (G-77), he championed the economic rights of the least developed and developing nations.

Formal diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and the People’s Republic of China were established on October 4, 1975. However, under Ziaur Rahman’s administration, this relationship rapidly institutionalized. His historic visit to China in January 1977 catalyzed bilateral progress.

Agreements covering economic and technical assistance alongside defense equipment and training were signed, modernizing the Bangladesh Armed Forces and reducing foreign defense dependency on a single country. Development and technological cooperation with Japan were also reinforced.

Serving on the UN Security Council during the 1979-1980- term underscored the diplomatic capability of the young nation.

Less than a decade after independence, despite internal challenges and economic constraints, Bangladesh played a leadership role in the world’s premier decision-making body.

Its principled and unequivocal vote against the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the UNSC and the UN General Assembly sent a clear message in support of territorial sovereignty.

Furthermore, Bangladesh maintained steadfast support for Palestinian self-determination in the UN and international forums, reinforcing Third World solidarity against Israeli occupation.

Although Bangladesh joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the 1974 Lahore Summit, relations matured into a strategic, economic, and institutional partnership under Ziaur Rahman.

In 1977, Bangladesh officially joined the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), unlocking direct concessionary loans and grants from Middle Eastern Islamic funds for agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and industry.

Manpower Export & Remittance: Following the establishment of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) in 1976, structured workforce deployment commenced to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq.

This policy laid the structural foundation for remittances, which remains a primary driver of rural poverty reduction and national economic growth. Middle East Peace Initiatives: Ziaur Rahman contributed to the Jerusalem and Palestine cause as a member of the OIC Al-Quds Committee.

When the Iran-Iraq War broke out in 1980, he was appointed to the nine-member OIC Islamic Peace Committee, actively engaging in mediation missions to Tehran and Baghdad to de-escalate the conflict.

Following his assassination in 1981, the OIC’s official condolence statement explicitly recognized his peacemaking efforts.

The most enduring institutional legacy of Ziaur Rahman’s diplomatic vision is the conceptualization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Recognizing the reality of historical rivalries, bilateral mistrust and border tensions in South Asia, he understood that setting aside political disputes to address common challenges- such as poverty, education, public health, disaster management, agriculture and trade- required multilateral cooperation.

In May 1980, Ziaur Rahman dispatched formal letters and working papers to the heads of state and government of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, officially proposing an institutional framework for South Asian cooperation.

Following structured consultations at the foreign secretary and foreign minister levels, SAARC held its inaugural summit in Dhaka in December 1985.

Ziaur Rahman’s foreign policy extended beyond diplomatic protocol and state visits; it was a Development Diplomacy directly aligned with his 19-Point Programme.

He maintained that an independent foreign policy could not be sustained without domestic economic capability and food self-sufficiency, while rebuilding a war-torn nation was impossible without foreign investment, technology transfer, and new markets.

Harmonizing domestic agricultural transformation, the canal-digging movement, industrialization, and rural development, he built mutually beneficial aid and trade partnerships with Western nations (the US and Europe), Asian powers (China and Japan), and oil-rich Middle Eastern states.

Historically and structurally, since its founding in 1978, the BNP has contributed significantly to Bangladesh’s socioeconomic transformation- reviving multi-party democracy, pioneering free-market policies, fostering the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, establishing remittance inflows through manpower export, and introducing female education stipends.

The continuity of Ziaur Rahman’s nationalist vision and foreign policy was subsequently reflected in former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s “Look East Policy,” expanded economic diplomacy, and initiatives to keep SAARC effective.

In today’s complex global environment, his successor Tarique Rahman pursues the party’s declared “Bangladesh First” doctrine- prioritizing national interest and territorial sovereignty to maintain multilateral equilibrium, foster modern economic partnerships, and solidify Bangladesh’s standing in the international arena.

Ultimately, in Ziaur Rahman’s political philosophy, “Bangladeshi Nationalism” and his “International Outlook” were mutually complementary.

His doctrine was neither isolationist nor parochial; it sought economic and strategic partnerships based on sovereign equality, dignity and mutual respect.

His overarching thesis was clear: a developing state, regardless of its geographic or economic size, can play a constructive and influential role in world affairs through astute diplomacy, active multilateral balancing and unambiguous alignment with national interests.

In an evolving multipolar world, Ziaur Rahman’s balanced approach and pragmatic development diplomacy endure as a visionary framework of statesmanship.

(The author is a political analyst and faculty member at the University of Dhaka)