Will Bangladesh join Asean? Maritime arbitration wins and cultural links favour Dhaka

Bangladesh is seeking to diversify its foreign policy and reduce its dependence on India by joining Asean although the prospects of Dhaka being a new member of the regional bloc is unlikely for now, according to observers, as it continues to grapple with the impact of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s downfall.

Other analysts, however, say Bangladesh’s experience in international maritime arbitration and cultural links with the region could favour its application.

Last Wednesday, Bangladesh’s chief adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus sought the support of Malaysia for its bid to join the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He raised the issue during a meeting in Dhaka with Malaysian High Commissioner Haznah Md Hashim who said that her country – Asean’s chairman next year – would convey Yunus’s request.

Yunus, 84, returned from France to Bangladesh last month to take up the monumental task of steering democratic reforms and restoring stability in the crisis-hit country. His appointment came after 76-year-old Hasina fled the country to India on August 5 by helicopter after a students-led revolution overthrew her 15 years of iron-fisted rule.