Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday said Bangladesh would put its national interest and sovereignty first while pursuing deeper cooperation with regional and global partners.

“Bangladesh believes in dialogue, partnership and mutual respect,” Tarique said. “But our national interests and sovereignty will come first.”

He was speaking at the inauguration of the fifth edition of the Bay of Bengal Conversation, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka.

Tarique said his government, which has a five-year mandate to deliver, was moving from commitments to implementation, with economic stability, policy continuity and institutional reform among its priorities.

At the same time, he said, Bangladesh would continue to engage positively with countries in the region and beyond.

“Peace and harmony are the foundation of shared prosperity and development,” he said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh was prepared to play its part in ensuring that countries around the Bay of Bengal “grow together, embrace mutual and reciprocal benefits, and citizens expand meaningful cooperation”.

He pointed to Bangladesh’s strategic location, ports, waterways and coastal economy as areas that could connect the country more closely with the wider world through shipping, fisheries, tourism, energy and regional supply chains.

“Regionally, our shared geography should become a shared prosperity,” Tarique said.

He called for deeper bilateral and multilateral engagement in trade, energy, education, technology, climate and maritime affairs.

Such cooperation, he said, could open new markets and create opportunities for young people while strengthening regional ties on the basis of equality.

“We can build stronger cooperation based on equality, fairness and justice,” Tarique said. “Geography has brought us together, and we are confident that people-to-people ties can take us further.”

Tarique also addressed the Rohingya crisis, saying Bangladesh continued to host around 1.2 million refugees and remained committed to their early, voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar.

He said a lasting solution required addressing the causes of the crisis inside Myanmar.

“It started in Myanmar and must end in Myanmar,” Tarique said.

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