‘The geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound change, Dhaka needs to craft proactive strategies’
As a developing country, economic development should be Bangladesh’s national priority. Therefore, it is imperative that Dhaka strikes a balance between the superpowers to keep its strategic autonomy, which yields avenues to engage with multiple actors. The Business Standard spoke to Anu Anwar, a fellow at Harvard University, to better understand how we can strategize to achieve this and keep strong ties with the United States.
While Bangladesh eyes its imminent graduation from LDC status after 50 years of independence, it is forced to reevaluate its geopolitical position and foreign policy in the backdrop of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Between an economic superpower (China) and a potential one (India) in Asia, Bangladesh, as an emerging economy, also has to keep strategies to strengthen its ties with the United States.
So how is Bangladesh faring, and what should be done to protect its autonomy?
The Business Standard spoke to Anu Anwar, a fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and an associate in research at the John K. Fairbank Centre for Chinese Studies, Harvard University, for answers and to better understand the new complexities of international relations.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.