Why Bangladesh deserves a seat at ASEAN's table

Nation's post-crisis leadership offers a rare opportunity for Southeast Asia

2025-04-09 garment

Garment workers make clothing in the sewing section of a factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, on April 9, 2025.  © Reuters

Niaz Asadullah is a senior fellow at IDEAS Malaysia; Doris Liew is an economist and assistant research manager at IDEAS Malaysia.

Once dismissed as a "basket case," Bangladesh emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia at the turn of the millennium, hailed by some as the next Asian tiger. With gross domestic product growth exceeding 6% in the past decade, Bangladesh is steadily asserting itself as a viable economic player on the global stage.

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