Remarks by Ambassador Mr. Ghanshyam Bhandari at the ‘Ambassadorial Reflections Segment’ of the Bay of Bengal Conversation- 2025
Dhaka, 22 November 2025
Excellencies, and
Ladies and Gentlemen
At the outset, I commend the Center for Governance Studies for convening the Bay of Bengal Conversation-2025 and inviting me to speak a few words.
As this session is about reflections, I will share my thoughts on Nepal-Bangladesh relations, that I proudly strive to promote and highlighting the moments and milestones of which makes me happy.
Albert Einstein once said, ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough’. Given the vast and ever-evolving scope of Nepal-Bangladesh relations, ten minutes may not be sufficient for me to do justice to the topic. But just as every storyteller has their own perspectives, I will share a few vignettes, even if they cannot capture the entire tale.
I will highlight the key aspects of our dynamic relationship, including the spirit of friendship and good neighbourliness, growing economic partnership, and people-to-people exchanges. In doing so, I will also shed light on our common priorities and pathways.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With a history of never having been under any foreign rule, Nepal has always upheld an independent and non-aligned foreign policy.
Balance, neutrality and good neighbourliness have remained at the core of our foreign policy outlook. Not least in this light, Bangladesh continues to occupy an important place in Nepal’s diplomatic engagements across bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and multilateral spheres.
Our two countries share a friendship rooted in respect, mutual trust, and cooperation.
Our relationship is also about a similar journey. We are co-authors of a story of development efforts and adventures that are sometimes humble, sometimes bold, but always in sync.
Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1972, our relationship has evolved across diverse sectors.
We have always stood by one another in times of need, be it during Bangladesh’s Liberation War, Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquakes, or the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
We continue to work together by drawing strength from the transformative power of this goodwill and solidarity.
Second, on economic partnership, while our trade and investment linkages remain modest, we have made some advances in recent years.
Negotiations are underway for a preferential trade agreement.
Collaboration between Nepali and Bangladeshi investors is on the rise. The 2019 Double Tax Avoidance Agreement has been instrumental in this regard.
To unlock the full potential in trade and investment, we are working to reduce other duties and charges, address non-tariff barriers, simplify procedures, and harmonize regulations.
Among the milestones of our economic ties, power trade stands out as a particularly promising area. With the recent commencement of the export of 40 MW of hydroelectricity from Nepal to Bangladesh through the Indian transmission lines, we have entered a new phase of economic partnership.
Though small in volume, this is a historic achievement, as it brings, for the first time, the vision of sub-regional power cooperation to life.
It is, in fact, a watershed moment that opens avenues for future energy cooperation.
Building on this momentum, our two governments are exploring joint investment opportunities. Talks are already underway for the 683 MW Sunkoshi III hydropower project.
Given Nepal’s vast hydropower potential and Bangladesh’s growing energy needs, such collaboration represents a true win-win, paving the way for a more sustainable, integrated, and prosperous regional future for all.
Third, as a land-locked country, Nepal views connectivity as a natural pathway for cooperation and shared prosperity.
Currently, Kathmandu and Dhaka are connected by 13 direct flights per week.
Bangladesh has generously granted Nepal access to Mongla and Chattogram seaports, though most of our trade today passes through the Kakarvitta-Fulbari-Banglabandha corridor.
Even so, the Mongla port, especially when paired with the Rohanpur–Singhabad railway transit, offers a promising path to greater connectivity.
Similarly, negotiations on cargo and passenger vehicle movement are progressing steadily under the BBIN sub-regional framework. A mutually satisfactory outcome will mark an important milestone towards achieving seamless road connectivity across the sub-region.
Fourth, civilizational ties and people-to-people links are the beating heart of our relationship. From the journeys of great Bengali Buddhist scholars Atish Dipankar and Vanaratna to Nepal centuries ago, to Hara Prasad Shastri’s discovery of the Charyapada, [the palm-leaf manuscript of ancient Bangla poems, in Nepal] to the shared Sanskrit roots of Nepali and Bangla languages, our history speaks of enduring cultural bonds.
These links continue to live on even today. Close to 50 thousand Bangladesh tourists visit Nepal each year, and about 2700 Nepali students, mostly in medicine, pursue their higher studies in Bangladesh.
These students, tourists, and visitors are our true cultural ambassadors.
Therefore, our efforts to connect our historic, religious, and archaeological sites, and consolidate our people-to-people ties continue to gather more strength.
Fifth, we work closely to advance our common interests in regional and international forums.
Today, as the two largest contributors of troops and police to UN peace operations, we play a vital role in global peace and security.
In multilateral forums such as the United Nations, Group of 77 and China, and Non-aligned Movement, we often align our efforts on global development agenda including LDC priorities and South–South cooperation.
As steadfast advocates of SAARC and BIMSTEC, we continue to push for deeper regional integration.
Just as our countries are connected naturally by the rivers that emanate from the Himalayas and flow down to the Bay of Bengal, so too is the destiny of our peoples bound together by mutual dependence.
The Himalayas are the ‘pulse of the planet’, for whatever happens there echoes across the region and beyond.
Sadly, this profound connection is increasingly upset by climate crisis. Global warming has endangered lives and livelihoods both in the mountain regions and far downstream.
Cognizant of this reality, we stand together in tackling the climate crisis.
I understand there is a session at this conference on small-state diplomacy tomorrow morning. While Nepal and Bangladesh may not fit neatly into that category, the way we engage in regional and multilateral forums remains profoundly consequential.
As Toni Morrison, one of my beloved novelists, says “definitions belong to the definers, not the defined”, we must define our own challenges and priorities, and continue to transform our vulnerabilities and strengths into diplomatic influence in regional and international negotiations.
Excellencies, and
Dear Friends,
Given the geographical proximity and the history of our close relations, what we have achieved over the last 54 years is nowhere close to the potential.
As we look to the next fifty years and beyond, there is a need to deepen and diversify our cooperation.
Like two ‘schoolmates of development’, we are graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category in 2026. It is a milestone we have long aspired to. But graduation will also entail new challenges, particularly with the phase-out of international support measures.
We must not lose sight of our shared priorities and future directions, and work together to ensure a smooth, sustainable, and irreversible graduation.
This is more critical, as we navigate through the current transitional periods following last year’s student-led uprising in Bangladesh and Gen-Z led political changes in Nepal about two months ago.
We must recognize that both our societies are aspirational, with youth serving as drivers of change and architects of our future. We must, therefore, place them at the forefront of our efforts to build a just and prosperous future for all.
To conclude, the true measure of a bilateral relationship lies in the benefits it delivers to the people. And closer the people are, the higher the expectations will be. We must therefore focus our conversation on what we can and should do next. I am confident that, working together in this spirit, we will reach even greater milestones in our partnership.
I wish you all a very productive and engaging conference.
Thank you very much for your attention.
