The Rohingya repatriation and Covid diplomacy will be the main challenge for Bangladesh on the diplomatic front in the New Year.
Apart from this, bilateral free trade agreements, ties with the ASEAN countries, resolving pending issues with India, including Teesta water deal, will also dominate the foreign policy agenda, say analysts.
From the official perspective, foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh will step up all out efforts to ensure Rohingya repatriation in 2021.
He also disclosed that though many had earlier suggested taking the path of confrontation to resolve the issue, Bangladesh outright turned down it.
"In this year repatriating, the Rohingya refugees to their homeland Myanmar will be one of our main goals," he told the FE on Sunday.
"I have written to the minister concerned in Myanmar over the issue and told him that they should start the process this year" he added. According to the minister, Myanmar should keep up its pledge to repatriate the refugees immediately.
"They assured us that they will create a conducive environment for the repatriation, but so far none has been repatriated," Dr Momen regretted. In this connection, he recalled in 1992, around 230 thousand Rohngya were repatriated through discussion.
In this connection, he referred to the recent UN resolution where 132 countries backed Bangladesh's stance on Myanamar.
"Many countries have shifted to our side. Though this is not mandatory, this is the reflection of the will of the people of the world," the foreign minister said.
On the issue of India refraining from voting, he said that since India is in discussion with Myanmar to resolve the issue, they have not voted against Myanmar to maintain the leverage.
"They had informed us about their stance earlier and we have no resentment against them" the minister disclosed.
Commenting on the potential challenges, ambassador Humayun Kabir said Covid diplomacy needs to be focused in the context of the fall of economies in the Middle East.
They are the largest employers of Bangladeshis, so efforts need to be continued to convince them not about sending back Bangladeshi workers, he added.
