Bangladesh has expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict and unrest in the Middle East following the recent attack on Iran. In its statement on Monday, the foreign ministry urged all parties to show maximum restraint to preserve peace and stability in the region. It condemned violations of the sovereignty of several states in the region including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The statement added, “Bangladesh reaffirms its consistent position in favour of peace, stability, and security in the Middle East and calls upon the international community to intensify efforts towards restoring calm and facilitating dialogue.”
The position reflects the challenges of the new BNP-led government, which has inherited a fragile economy and a precarious energy sector heavily reliant on the Middle East. The region is also home to a vast number of Bangladeshi migrant workers whose remittances are vital to the national economy. The outbreak of regional hostilities has now thrust the government into a complex geopolitical landscape, coming even before the initial phase of its policymaking has concluded.
Bangladesh imports most of its energy, such as crude oil, LNG and LPG, from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Oman. Rising tensions in the Middle East threaten not only a spike in global oil prices but also disruptions to its fuel supply chains. The risk extends beyond energy security to broader economic stability.
The new government faces a dual challenge: maintaining ties with Western allies while preserving cooperation with Muslim states in the Gulf on labour, remittances and energy. With millions of Bangladeshi workers across the region, a prolonged conflict could threaten their jobs and the remittances that underpin the domestic economy. These confront the government with a complex diplomatic and geopolitical task from the outset of its term, forcing it to weigh the economic and diplomatic consequences of every action and statement.
Analysts say the ministry’s emphasis on safeguarding sovereignty, without naming any party, reflects Dhaka’s longstanding non-alignment in foreign policy.
Foreign ministry sources say the government is particularly concerned for the safety of Bangladeshi citizens in Iran. Protecting nationals in conflict zones has become a top priority. Dhaka’s measured response is shaped by its dependence on Gulf states — many key US allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar — for energy security and a substantial share of remittance income.
Shama Obaed Islam, the state minister for foreign affairs, said the government is approaching the crisis with a sense of responsibility rather than one of pressure. “The global situation is such that conflicts erupt in different parts of the world at different times. Bangladesh isn’t outside the world. So in this era of globalisation, there’ll be an impact,” she told Bonik Barta.
She further said, “That sense of duty is guiding all of our ministries in their work. The prime minister is following the matter with utmost importance. The safety, security and wellbeing of Bangladeshi citizens abroad, of our workers, is our utmost priority. At the foreign ministry, we’re looking at these issues, and our civil aviation and labour ministries are also monitoring and working to ensure it. Whatever is required and expected of the government, we’re doing.”
Long-term implications are also under consideration, she said, adding, “That’s a separate matter; it’s something to be analysed, and it’s certainly on all our minds.”
The state minister reiterated, “Bangladesh always tries to see everything from a humanitarian perspective. Of course, there are realities on the ground. The foreign ministry’s statement represented the government’s official position. Everyone wants peace to prevail, and we want that too. In such situations, it’s the ordinary people, regardless of nationality, who suffer. It’s important to move past this. World leaders must also focus on how a solution can be found through negotiation or dialogue.”
It is not pressure, she said, but the protection of the country’s citizens that is now the government’s overarching priority.
Several former foreign ministry officials said Bangladesh had traditionally responded to conflicts by urging all sides to exercise restraint, a natural stance for a developing country. But they added that the unilateral attack on Iran, involving a state such as Israel, warranted a stronger response, even if only in diplomatic language.
Geopolitical analysts noted a moral dimension. If an incident in another country went uncondemned, they asked, what precedent would that set for a similar event in Bangladesh? Such acts must be denounced, they argued, in whatever language. The principle was clear: might should not make right internationally.
The foreign ministry, the analysts said, should have issued a condemnation. Instead, it avoided that step amid geopolitical complexities, focusing solely on Bangladeshi nationals. They pointed out that the government is balancing ties with the United States against the need to maintain financial flows from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
Asked whether the Middle East conflict, erupting just ten days after a new government took office in Bangladesh, had placed it under pressure, former ambassador M Humayun Kabir told Bonik Barta: “The situation is of course a pressure for the government. This state of war has created major concern for everyone. We’re calling on all parties to return to the negotiating table. We hope this state of war ends now and that all sides show restraint. We also urge the Bangladesh government to take steps to ensure the safety of our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters there.”
Any major development in the Middle East creates a dual crisis for Bangladesh, according to Dr Delwar Hossain, a professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka. “We have enjoyed good relations with the United States for a long time,” he told Bonik Barta. “At the same time, our ties with almost all Middle Eastern countries are strong. When we see a division emerge there, the question of which side to take becomes a major concern.”
In the past, he noted, condemning a unilateral Israeli attack was straightforward. But this time, the United States is directly involved. “It’s also a reality that this government, like its predecessor, has a particular relationship with the US, or enjoys a certain degree of sympathy from Washington. Keeping that in mind, the diplomatic response needs to be befitting while also taking public sentiment into account.”
Prof Hossain said the government, which is he noted is entirely new to such situations, faces a significant challenge. “It should take this difficult moment seriously and demonstrate diplomatic skill,” he added.