How Dhaka can gain from Joe Biden as US president

It's customary to issue a statement greeting election victory of a party or person in any major country. It has not different after Joe Biden'sgetting elected as 46th President of the United States. We often see pious wishes from our country that a new leader in another country would do a favour that the previous administration might not have done.

In fact, change in regime or presidency is only an opportunity which the other country needs to cash in on. In view of imminent changeover in the US capital, Dhaka needs to make its demands and aspirations ready first and ready its negotiating team. Both adequate homework and lobbying in the respective country should be given priority. Dhaka should try to prepare separate packages for talks with each of different countries to maximise national interests.

Bangladesh has the scope to regain generalised system of preference (GSP) in the US market and thus boost exports, deepen trade and investment relations with America without joining controversies, and send more Bangladeshi students to US universities. New avenues may be opened in the process. However, nothing will come automatically when the Biden administration will be in office. Non-resident Bangladeshis living in America may be utilised in reaching out the officials of the mew administration.

Zafar Iqbal

Winnipeg, Canada

[email protected]