Foreign policy is an instrument to promote and protect a country's national interest in the arena of international order. Foreign policy provides a general framework of a country's relations with various other states and non-state actors. The strength or weaknesses of a country are reflected in its foreign policy formulations and operationalisation. Therefore, foreign policy of a country is also a reflection of its status and power. In this regard foreign policy is closely related to domestic policy. In the context of the developing countries foreign policy implementation is a complex phenomenon as these countries are faced with numerous political and economic strains, pulls and pressures.
In this age of global interdependence, where no nation can live in isolation, every state has to maintain some sort of relations with other states. This is usually done by pursuing the foreign policy. In keeping with this basic fact of state practice, Bangladesh also pursues a distinct course in its relations with the external environment. However, the operationalisation of foreign policy of a country is not an independent variable. It is shaped and conditioned by a set of variable which includes both stable and dynamic forces.
In the present book an attempt has been made to find out the determinants of Bangladesh foreign policy, its decision making structure and the nature of its continuity and change. These are important for understanding the bases on which Bangladesh formulates its foreign policy. It contains eight chapters and appendices dealing with the issues of different determinants of foreign policy of Bangladesh including political, economic and regional factors. The book also highlights the relations of Bangladesh with USA, China, India, Pakistan and other neighbouring countries. Special features of the book include the backdrop of foreign policy along with emerging scenario in external relations of Bangladesh. This book would be of interest to decision makers, politicians, bureaucrats, researchers, consultants, researchers and students, as it deals with a wide array of foreign policy issues. |
