Bangladesh has emerged as a global peace-builder through its pragmatic diplomacy which has helped Bangladesh establish world peace through socioeconomic development for stability, peace building, and UN peacekeeping. Bangladesh wants to influence 21st-century peace architecture by creating relationships, promoting trade, promoting positive-sum interaction, and improving cooperative frameworks in the UN.
After independence in 1971, Bangladesh struggled to rebuild infrastructure, resettle displaced people, and find a national identity. Hence, like Switzerland, Bangladesh relied on ‘strategic peace’ to ensure a conducive environment for its interests. Since 1999, every year, Bangladesh has placed its annual flagship resolution, ‘Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace’ in the UN General Assembly to display its effort to promote a ‘culture of peace’ worldwide. After 54 years, Bangladesh currently views socioeconomic progress as “preventive diplomacy.” Moreover, the external credibility was built on internal concord. Several reports have concentrated on conflict mediation since 1972 to reduce the impacts of radicalism and securing peace in South Asia as well as the world.
In 1974, Bangladesh joined the UN, expanding its global reach. Decolonization, self-determination, and conflict resolution were its main priorities in the UN Security Council from 1978 to 1979, where Bangladesh had advocated for negotiated settlements in southern Africa (Angola, Namibia) and Middle East peace frameworks. During this time, Bangladesh developed its grassroots successes and ethical global advocacy.
Bangladesh joined UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in 1988, one of the largest and most diverse countries topledge to UN missions.Over two decades, Bangladesh sent engineering, medical, and infantry units to dangerous places like Cambodia under UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) and Mozambique under ONUMOZ (United Nations Operation in Mozambique), demonstrating logistical versatility and cultural adaptability.
Bangladesh’s second UNSecurity Council term (2000-01) adopted an inclusive counter-terrorism strategy that balanced security and humanitarian concerns. The ambassadors of Dhaka promoted humanitarian access, civilian safety, and local law enforcement, paving the way for modern integrated security systems.Bangladesh sent 160,000 troops to UN peacekeeping deployments in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia by 2025, including the largest engineer battalion ever sent. In Darfur, engineering brigades rebuild airports, roadways, and electricity lines. UNAMID (The United Nations African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur) and UNMISS (The United Nations Mission in South Sudan) are building field hospitals in Haiti to assist tens of thousands of people. Democratic Republic of the Congo and MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti). In unstable regions like Congo, MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) fast response forces patrol ceasefire lines and deter disruptors along with UNMulti dimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and UNIIMOG (UN Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group).
Bangladesh deliberately invested in global trade infrastructure to connect its neighbours because, in the liberal notion, economic cooperation is essential to stability. However, due to international investment, Chittagong and Mongla ports have increased capacity and reduced cargo processing time, giving landlocked nations access to the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor and diversifying supply chains.
For now, Bangladesh prioritizes expanding river ports, digitising customs, and encouraging private investment in commercial infrastructure that will help Bangladesh promote interdependence and peace in South and Southeast Asia beyond legal initiatives. Bangladeshi peace experts can work with major states through diplomatic channels and with the African Union and UN to educate and deploy elite mediators. Bangladesh was overwhelmingly selected as vice president of the UN’s Human Rights Council, which promotes human rights. The permanent mission in Geneva said the decision was made on December 9, 2024, during the Human Rights Council’s 2025 organisational session.
When Bangladesh indicated its desire to represent the Asia-Pacific group (APG) in the bureau as vice president in October 2024, the election process began. All members of the Asia Pacific Group (APG) endorsed Bangladesh’s vice-presidency bid and submitted it to the council.
Bangladesh is a major climate change sufferer and promotes climate security in peace projects, advocating for community-driven resilience, adaptation, and sustainable reconstruction financing during ceasefires and post-conflict recovery.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Bangladesh’s Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser, urged least developed countries to reject the COP29 declaration in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 11, 2024. She had also questioned the planned US$300 billion annual allocation for developing nations as greatly inadequate. This distribution is neither a grant or tied to a procedure, she said. Although, the 45 most vulnerable LDCs have no allocated fund.
Since 2017, 750,000 or more Rohingyas have fled Arakan and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Bangladesh provided shelter to this large number of Rohingya sole on humanitarian ground. Since then, the country has also fulfilled the responsibility of the ‘Guardian of the most persecuted population in our history’ on the global stage.In the year 2025, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres had visited the Rohingya Camp of Bangladesh along with the Head of the Interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
As a major agenda in its foreign policy, Bangladesh always sought help from the international community to ensure safe repatriation of the Rohingya community to their home country and also emphasized negotiations with the Myanmar government.
The past 54 years have seen this nation go from traumatised to a worldwide peacekeeping and diplomatic hub. Bangladesh can surpass its peace-building and peacekeeping effortsby becoming a model of 21st-century peace mediator and promoting economic interdependence. It also incorporates climate change adaptation into security strategies. Indeed, Bangladesh’s reliance on ‘strategic peace’ and emphasizing ‘culture of peace’ are unique in a world that is gradually backsliding into conflict, trade war, weaponization of economy, and ‘cost-benefit analysis’ over humanitarian grounds.
The writer is a researcher