Bangladesh’s foreign policy is shifting. With the recent political change at home and an increasingly volatile global order, Bangladesh is adopting a “looking east” policy. For rapid economic growth, regional connectivity, and strategic diversification, the country has been hoping to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The question is no longer whether Bangladesh is willing to join ASEAN, but whether it is ready and also whether ASEAN is prepared to embrace its South Asian neighbor. 

Indeed, the stakes are high. ASEAN has a market of over 680 million people, with a combined GDP exceeding $4.5 trillion – the world largest regional organization outside Europe. The bloc acts as a buffer amid great power rivalries, and it has already proven its capacity to accelerate economic transformation and robust regional cooperation. ASEAN presents a timely and strategic opportunity for a country like Bangladesh, which, having just achieved its second liberation from authoritarian rule, is grappling with economic uncertainty and navigating strained ties with its traditional partners. 

The Economic Case for Membership

ASEAN can offer an alternative growth horizon for Bangladesh. More than 85 percent of Bangladesh’s exports are reliant on the ready-made garments sector, which is concentrated on Europe and North America. 

However, the world is changing. In the emerging multipolar international order, given the country’s economic progress, Bangladesh will

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