We see Bangladesh as a growing strategic partner, says EU envoy

Michael Miller, the EU's ambassador to Dhaka, says the bloc’s relationship with Bangladesh should be seen as that of a strategic partner, moving away from the old perspective of a donor and a recipient.

He made the remarks at the “Meet the Ambassador” event organised by the Center for Governance Studies at Dhaka University on Tuesday.

Miller said, "We're not just looking at the relationship through that old lens. We are actually looking at the relationship through a new lens. We're looking at Bangladesh as a partner of growing strategic importance and I'm sure you feel it too. 

Outlining how the EU wants to develop that perspective, the EU envoy said: “Our ambition is built on a pretty simple but fundamentally powerful idea. It is that we can and should build an eye-to-eye partnership of equals with Bangladesh. Your stability matters to us. Your prosperity matters to us. We recognise your strengths. We recognise your challenges. We all have challenges.” 

The EU is also important to Bangladesh as not just a market or development partner, but also as a partner on politics, economic investment, and strategy, he said.

“A partner that is ready to invest in the modernization and diversification of your economy which is frankly government policy as it should be.”

Though the relationship was initially based on apolitical matters such as the economy and trade, it has now taken on more political dimensions, he said. 

“We see Bangladesh passing through this important transitional moment. It is unfinished business after the elections. But you have an opportunity here. We have been clear as the EU in supporting reforms that strengthen democratic institutions, uphold fundamental rights, reinforce judicial independence, and create the conditions for free and fair elections.”

“We support reform ambition that builds trust between citizens and institutions and that underpin openness, stability and prosperity.”

However, Miller said that such reforms are not easy or quick. 

He said, “Perhaps after August 2024 there was a sense amongst parts of the population that things would change rapidly. That is not the experience that I have in dealing with these reform issues for decades in Europe. It takes time. It takes time when you have frankly more wealth, better organised administrations and huge, huge capacity to act.

“So it does not surprise me that in Bangladesh you have hit certain roadblocks but the intention I see is still one that we need to encourage you to grasp with both hands.

Highlighting the need for extensive preparation, political will and very complex reform processes as the economic relationship with the European Union moves to a new stage on the two-way path, the ambassador said.

“What we are shifting towards is an economic relationship that will be defined by market opening and greater reciprocity between the EU and Bangladesh,” he said. 

Miller also said that the EU is considering the interest that Bangladesh has shown in concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The event, moderated by CGS President and television presenter Zillur Rahman, was attended by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh Country Representative Felix Gerdes, and Dhaka University Department of Political Science Professor Kazi Mahbubur Rahman, among others.