The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MoFAET), D.N Dhungyel, during the 7th Meet-the-Press shared that Bhutan still has a positive trade balance with Bangladesh, despite the current political crisis in Bangladesh.
Lyonpo shared that in 2023, the total trade between Bhutan and Bangladesh was Nu 5.83 billion, with Bhutan exporting about Nu 5.03 billion and importing around Nu 0.08 billion.
“This positive trade balance has been maintained over the past few years. In 2021, exports surpassed Nu 5 billion, followed by over Nu 4 billion in 2022 and again over Nu 5 billion in 2023. As of mid-2024, exports have already exceeded Nu 3 billion, and we anticipate reaching Nu 6 billion by the year’s end,” Lyonpo Dhungyel said.
He shared that while there have been minor disruptions, the overall trade flow has remained relatively stable. In July 2024, a brief incident involving Bhutanese trucks being stranded at the Indo-Bangladesh border was swiftly resolved through diplomatic intervention.
He said that the Royal Bhutanese Embassy (RBE) in Dhaka has been proactively engaging with relevant agencies in Bangladesh and customs officials on the ground to ensure smooth trade operations.
The government is also regularly assessing the situation to evaluate the potential impact on trade, in order to allow for strategic adjustments as may be required.
While trade has remained largely unaffected, the situation in Bangladesh has presented challenges for Bhutanese students studying there. As per the ministry’s records, there are around 237 Bhutanese studying all across Bangladesh, of which 230 students had recently returned to Bhutan.
MoFAET, through RBE Dhaka, was constantly monitoring the situation in Bangladesh, and in touch with the students.
Lyonpo said, “In addition to rendering necessary support such as arranging logistical support, RBE Dhaka also accommodated 32 students at the Embassy, including at the residence of the Bhutanese officials of the Embassy and working in other international organizations, prior to their travel to Bhutan.”
Further he shared that with the Interim Government now in place in Bangladesh, the situation is gradually stabilizing.
Lyonpo added, “The Interim Government had directed all the universities to resume classes by 18 August 2024. However, it is understood that classes have yet to resume fully, and some foreign students, including Bhutanese, are beginning to return to Bangladesh.”
In Bangladesh, what initially began as a movement for job quota reforms, escalated into anti-government protests with widespread violence and has created significant challenges. With the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, an Interim Government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, was formed on 8 August 2024. The Interim Government is working towards restoring normalcy and stabilizing the situation in Bangladesh.
