The BGA Bangladesh Team, led by Managing Director Sonia Bashir Kabir, wrote an update to clients about the country’s upcoming elections.

Context

  • The ruling Awami League (AL) and the main opposition Banbladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) continue to dominate the political scene.
  • The BNP’s planned boycott of the upcoming elections raises concerns about Bangladesh’s future political stability and international standing, closely watched by key players like the United States, China and India. The AL has been arresting opposition leaders from the BNP for years, and its one-sided election is indicative of an autocratic government.

Significance

  • Bangladesh’s historical trajectory has been marked by political turbulence since the country achieved independence from Pakistan in 1971. Despite periods of economic growth, controversies, such as the 2014 general election, introduced allegations of irregularities, leaving a stain on Bangladesh’s political landscape.
  • The AL’s foreign policy vision, guided by “friendship to all, malice to none,” centers on democratic values, economic dynamism and multilateral engagement. The BNP criticizes the AL’s foreign policy as an extension of undemocratic domestic practices and envisions a liberal, market-oriented foreign policy that embraces a rules-based international order.

Implications

  • The United States has urged democratic improvements while India considers the polls an internal matter. Bangladesh has attracted positive geopolitical attention despite its domestic challenges.
  • Bangladesh’s strategic geographical location, ample workforce and competitive labor costs make it a global manufacturing hub, attracting investments from international corporations seeking cost-effective production. Economic resilience and an aspiration to achieve middle-income status by 2031 underscore Bangladesh’s allure as a key player in the regional and global economic landscape.

We will continue to keep you updated on developments in Bangladesh as they occur. If you have any comments or questions, please contact BGA Bangladesh Managing Director Sonia Bashir Kabir at sonia.kabir@bowergroupasia.com.

Best regards,

BGA Bangladesh Team

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Senior Advisor

Sonia is a technology investor with a strong focus on supporting tech startups in the emerging markets of South Asia. Her career trajectory spans from serving as a technology corporate professional to becoming a successful technology entrepreneur, an angel investor and a dedicated technology philanthropist. She is one of the earliest and most active investors in the Bangladesh startup ecosystem and leads one of the few 100 percent women-led venture funds actively investing in South Asia: SBK Tech Ventures.  As the Founder of SBK Tech Ventures and SBK Foundation, Sonia is deeply committed to empowering rural communities through the transformative ... Read More