Edited by Sreeradha Datta
Blomsbury Hardback $80.50, Ebook (Epub & Mobi) $72.45 Ebook (PDF) $72.45
Reveiwed by Ghulam Suhrawardi
Sreeradha Datta is a professor of international affairs at the OP Jindal Global University. She is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
The book is a compilation of the evolving landscape of Bangladesh—one of India’s most significant neighboring countries. The author, Dr Sreeradha Datta, a prominent researcher in South Asian affairs, helps unpack the complex relationship between India and Bangladesh within the broader framework of regional politics.
It delves into Bangladesh’s growth story, marked by economic progress despite political challenges. Dr Datta provides insights into the dynamics of anti-India sentiment, the impact of China’s growing presence in South Asia, and the pivotal role that India’s diplomacy can play in fostering stability. We also discuss Bangladesh’s internal issues, including concerns over election integrity, corruption, and leadership under Sheikh Hasina.
The fastest growing South Asian state is being recognized as an important partner and model case study with increasing global relevance by world powers. Sreeradha Datta reviews many of its critical bilateral relationships, as well as its expanding influence in the region and world beyond, enabling an understanding of how Bangladesh’s growth trajectory complements and informs its foreign policy aims.
The volume has a mixture of thematic and bilateral chapters, and includes the active Bangladeshi diaspora population and its influence on the country’s unfolding narrative. Datta features the viewpoints of key Bangladeshi policy makers; expert takes on how the world is engaging with Bangladesh; and covers the growing salience of Bangladesh’s foreign policy, reflecting its new acquired economic status.
Various segments of the book are:
Acknowledgements
Foreword – C. Raja Mohan
Prologue: Bangladesh in the World: Progress, Pitfalls and Prospects – Michael Kugelman
Introduction: Bangladesh on a New Journey: Moving beyond Regional Identity – Sreeradha Datta
Part I Introduction
1 The Making of the Bangladesh Doctrine: Strategic Autonomy and Development Deterrence – Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir
2 Nation Building, Religion and Foreign Policy in Bangladesh – Brigitta Schuchert
3 Construction and Reconstruction of Identity of the Bangladeshi Diaspora in the UK and the US – Ali Riaz
4 Bangladesh’s Domestic and International Efforts to Address Climate Change – Ashley Johnson
Part II Introduction
5 Bangladesh and the Outside World: A Story of Exploring Convergences, Connectivity and Continuity – M. Humayun Kabir
6 Smaller States in a Multipolar Asia: The Case of Bangladesh – Johannes Plagemann
7 From the Bay of Bengal to the Indo-Pacific: Extra-Regional Powers Vying for Bangladesh’s Attention -Sreeradha Datta
8 The Evolving Dynamics in Bangladesh and Southeast Asian Relations: A Long Road of Constraints and Opportunities – Don McLain Gill
Part III Introduction
9 Bangladesh and India: An Evolving Relationship – Deb Mukharji
10 China–Bangladesh Relations: Review and Prospects – Li Jianjun
11 Bangladesh–Pakistan Relations: Old and New Dimensions – Amna Ejaz Rafi
12 Bangladesh–US Bilateral Relations – Nilanthi Samaranayake
13 Bangladesh: Australia’s Blind Spot – Andrew Hunter
Epilogue: The Road Ahead for Bangladesh-Prospects to Emerge as the ‘Next Frontier’ of Asia – Ramita Iyer
About the Editor and Contributors
Index