What made Ziaur Rahman's foreign policy so distinct?

Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was one of the principal architects of Bangladesh’s strategic foreign policy foundations and its independent diplomatic trajectory. There was a time when the newly independent Bangladesh was often viewed internationally as a “bottomless basket” or a “failed state,” and the country’s foreign policy was also confined within a narrow and limited framework.

Bangladesh faced significant challenges in securing meaningful assistance from the West, building effective relations with the Muslim world and the broader international community, firmly advancing its sovereign interests on regional issues, and developing a distinct diplomatic identity.

It was against this backdrop that President Ziaur Rahman initiated a pragmatic and multidimensional restructuring of the country’s diplomacy.
President Ziaur Rahman assessed international relations not through the lens of ideological allegiance or emotional considerations, but in light of national interests and strategic realities. His approach was fundamentally pragmatic, with the primary objectives of foreign policy being the protection of the state’s security, sovereignty, and national interests.

In this context, Ziaur Rahman maintained the continuity of neutrality and non-alignment while simultaneously pursuing a realistic and multidimensional policy of diplomatic engagement whenever national interests were at stake.

The goal of Ziaur Rahman’s foreign policy was to rise above ideological divisions and ensure Bangladesh’s development, security, and international acceptance.

Based on this vision, he took initiatives to rebuild and strengthen relations with the Western world, as well as with countries such as China and Japan. As a result, new opportunities emerged for development cooperation, investment, and economic assistance. Bangladesh’s foreign policy evolved beyond a narrow and limited framework, gradually becoming more diversified, balanced, and interest-driven.

Bangladesh’s presence on the international stage became more visible and active, enabling the country to present itself not merely as an aid-dependent state but as a promising and responsible partner.
One of the defining features of President Ziaur Rahman’s foreign policy was placing economic diplomacy at the center of the nation’s development strategy.

Improving relations with Middle Eastern countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates, was an important part of this strategy.

As a result, new opportunities opened for Bangladesh to enter foreign labor markets. This was later expanded significantly, creating employment opportunities for a large number of Bangladeshi workers abroad.
At the same time, these initiatives laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s remittance-based economy. The role that expatriate income plays today as one of the country’s principal sources of foreign exchange can be traced back to the foundations established during this period.

In addition to economic diplomacy, President Ziaur Rahman regarded the strengthening of Bangladesh’s political and strategic relations with the Muslim world as a major foreign-policy priority.

Bangladesh actively supported the activities of the Al-Quds Committee as a member. During his tenure, Bangladesh’s policy position on the Palestinian issue became more explicit and firm, playing an important role in deepening diplomatic solidarity with the Muslim world.

A symbolic and strategic reflection of this policy was seen in the visit of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Bangladesh, which created a new dimension of mutual trust and cooperation between Bangladesh and the Arab and Muslim worlds.

During this period, in the context of the Iran–Iraq War, which began in 1980, Bangladesh played an active role in the mediation efforts of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Despite the complexities of geopolitical balancing, Bangladesh maintained an acceptable and balanced position and participated constructively in multilateral diplomacy.

These efforts helped strengthen Bangladesh’s diplomatic capabilities and contributed to building its image within the Muslim world as a responsible and moderate state.

In addition, relations with the United States gained new momentum. Development assistance, food aid, and support for the agricultural and infrastructure sectors increased, further integrating Bangladesh’s development framework with the Western development system.

At the same time, a new chapter began in relations with China. During his 1977 visit, President Ziaur Rahman met with Chinese leaders, and military and technological cooperation expanded thereafter. This played an important role in the modernization of Bangladesh’s armed forces.

In regional politics, the Farakka issue was one of the central and most sensitive issues in Bangladesh’s foreign policy. Efforts were initiated to find a diplomatic solution through negotiations with India on water-sharing disputes, laying a foundation for future dialogue on regional water-resource management.

At the same time, the 1978 Rohingya Crisis and the influx of refugees following the “King Dragon Operation” in Myanmar’s Arakan region placed Bangladesh under severe humanitarian and diplomatic pressure.

In response, Bangladesh took the initiative, supported by the structured assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to launch a repatriation program, which was partially implemented by 1979.
This is regarded as an important example of diplomatic crisis management during that period. Significant progress was also made in safeguarding maritime security and sovereignty.

Discussions began with both India and Myanmar on defining an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal and addressing maritime boundary issues, helping to lay the groundwork for Bangladesh’s future blue economy.

Ziaur Rahman’s contribution to defence diplomacy was also far-reaching. Activities undertaken during his visit to Canada in 1972 as Deputy Chief of the Bangladesh Army, along with training and cooperation programs with the United Kingdom, helped strengthen the institutional foundations of the newly formed armed forces.

One of the most important milestones of this institutional development was the establishment of the Military Forces Command and Staff College in Mirpur in 1977, which later evolved into the central institution for military professionalism in Bangladesh.

President Ziaur Rahman also played an important and decisive role in expanding Bangladesh’s engagement with multilateral diplomacy and global institutions.

A major achievement of these efforts was Bangladesh’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 1978. Securing the seat by defeating Japan was regarded as recognition of Bangladesh’s diplomatic capabilities.

During this period, Bangladesh’s principled stance on the Soviet-Afghan War and the Cambodia issue generated positive reactions in the international community.

Bangladesh’s active participation in later United Nations peacekeeping missions can be seen as a continuation of this diplomatic trajectory, the foundations of which were laid during this period.

Strengthening relations with the African continent was also an important aspect of his diplomacy.

Through relationships with leaders such as Léopold Sédar Senghor of Senegal and Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, Bangladesh developed closer ties with the African voting bloc. This helped strengthen Bangladesh’s position in the United Nations and other international organisations.

At the same time, he advocated for the North-South Dialogue and called for reducing global economic inequality, thereby strengthening the collective voice of developing countries.

One of the most forward-looking aspects of President Ziaur Rahman’s foreign policy was his promotion of the idea of South Asian regional cooperation, which later contributed to the foundation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. He believed that the development and security of South Asian countries could be achieved more effectively not through competition alone, but through a framework of regional cooperation.

As part of this vision, he initiated continuous diplomatic dialogue with neighboring countries and worked toward the creation of a common regional framework. His position was ahead of its time in advocating the inclusion of emerging issues such as climate change, tourism, connectivity, border management, drug trafficking, and transnational crime within discussions on regional cooperation.

The establishment of SAARC in 1985 reflected his ideas and planning. For this reason, he is often regarded as one of the founders of SAARC.

President Ziaur Rahman recognised that Bangladesh’s geographic location, situated at te crossroads of South and Southeast Asia, was an important strategic asset.

Taking advantage of this position, he prudently pursued initiatives to strengthen diplomatic relations with countries that are now members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

His visit to Malaysia in 1976 is regarded as a significant milestone in this policy. Owing to his diplomatic foresight, new employment opportunities emerged for Bangladeshis in the labor markets of Malaysia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries. This later played a crucial role in establishing a sustainable foundation for Bangladesh’s remittance economy, a contribution that continues to this day.

Alongside regional and global diplomatic initiatives, President Ziaur Rahman also played an equally important role in strengthening state capacity and institutional foundations.

As part of this effort, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training was established in 1976. Through this institution, labor migration came under a formalized framework, which had a long-term impact on Bangladesh’s economy.

At the same time, the establishment of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies created an institutional foundation for foreign-policy and strategic research, an initiative considered ahead of its time within the South Asian context.

Ziaur Rahman’s personal diplomacy was another strong aspect of his foreign policy. Through direct communication with heads of state, visits to embassies, and regular meetings with diplomats, he made foreign policy more effective and pragmatic.

His meeting with Jimmy Carter at the White House and their joint press conference in the Rose Garden were viewed as reflections of Bangladesh’s growing importance on the international stage.

At the same time, in addition to institutional development, he recognised the importance of cultural diplomacy. Under this approach, Bangladesh’s folk music, dance, and cultural heritage began to be presented more actively to international audiences, contributing to the expansion of the country’s soft power.

Overall, the foreign policy of the late President Ziaur Rahman represented a multidimensional process of transformation through which Bangladesh gradually evolved from an inward-looking and crisis-driven state into one that adopted an active and balanced position in international affairs. His diplomatic strategies, institutional initiatives, and regional and global outlook left a profound impact on the long-term foundations of Bangladesh’s foreign policy.

Even in today’s geopolitical environment, his pragmatic and balanced foreign-policy thinking continues to hold relevance. In a changing world order where geopolitics is becoming increasingly complex, the diplomatic wisdom and balanced foreign policy of the late President Ziaur Rahman remain a lasting source of guidance.

* ANM Muniruzzaman is a retired Major General and the President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS).

(This is an abridged version of the author’s presentation as the keynote speaker at a discussion organised by the Press Institute Bangladesh on the occasion of the 45th death anniversary of President Ziaur Rahman.)