Bangladesh–Bahrain Bilateral Relation


Bangladesh and Bahrain enjoy excellent relations based on identical values, shared perceptions and common traditions. We have an unfailing record of mutual support and cooperation at all international forums including the United Nations.

The political commitment to the close relationship has been translated into action through bilateral agreements covering economic, technical, and cultural cooperation. Conclusion of further agreements in the areas of trade & investment, customs & taxation, and air services etc. further strengthens and expands the relations between our two countries.

  • Relations between the two friendly countries have continued to grow since establishment of diplomatic relations following Bahrain’s recognition of Bangladesh in 1974.

  • Bangladesh and Bahrain have maintained an excellent record of mutual support and cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral forums both on substantive and electoral matters.

  • Bangladesh established a resident Mission at the Ambassador level in Bahrain on 28 February 1983.

  • Bangladesh opened resident Embassy in Bahrain on 28 February 1983. Prior to that, we maintained diplomatic relations with Bahrain through concurrent accreditation from UAE.

  • Although Bangladesh has been maintaining a resident Mission in the Kingdom for 38 years now, the Kingdom of Bahrain still has not considered appointing a non-resident Ambassador or an Honorary Consul in Bangladesh.

  • The then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia paid an official visit to Bahrain from 8-9 August 1992.

  • Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the funeral of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Emir of Bahrain, on 6 March 1999.

  • While two successive Prime Ministers, a DPM and a number of Cabinet Ministers from Bangladesh visited Bahrain in the past three decades, there has been no high level bilateral visit from Bahrain to Bangladesh yet.

  • A three member Bahrain Defense Force delegation led by Lt. Colonel Salman Essa Bin Hindi, Director and Head of Officers and Soldiers. visited Bangladesh from 9-13 June 1991 to explore areas of defence cooperation in view of the situation obtaining in the region.

  • A two member delegation headed by Mr. Yousif Abdullah Humood, Head of International Affairs, Ministry of National Finance and Economy visited Bangladesh on 28 October 2000, to finalize bilateral agreements in preparation for the visit of His Highness the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain (which was subsequently postponed due to the situation obtaining in the subcontinent).

  • Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus came to Bahrain at the invitation of His Highness the Crown Prince in early February 2007. During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director of Grameen Bank, and Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister for Social Development. Under the MOU, the Grameen Trust would extend technical cooperation and other necessary support for setting up of the proposed the Family Bank, in replication of the Grameen Bank.

  • Bangladesh received several ministerial and other high level officials from Bahrain on multilateral visits. A Bahraini delegation led by the Director of Political Affairs Ambassador Ali Ibrahim Al Mahrooj, attended the 14th Islamic Foreign Ministers’ conference in Dhaka in December 1983.

  • Another delegation led by the Minister of Finance and National Economy, Mr. Ibrahim Abdul Karim attended the 9th Annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank in February 1985.

  • In September 1999 the First Vice-Chairman of Shura Council went to Bangladesh to attend the Asian Parliamentarians Conference for Peace and Co-operation in Dhaka.

  • Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, former Minister of Science and ICT of Bangladesh led Bangladesh delegation at the 3rd Asia IT Ministers’ Summit and Telecom Arabia held in Manama on 21-23 March 2005 in Manama at the invitation of his Bahraini counterpart.

  • On 19-22 June in 2007, Dr Nezar Sadiq Al Baharna, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, paid a three- day visit to Bangladesh.

  • Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister of Bahrain paid a one-day visit to Dhaka on 30 March 2011.

  • Bangladesh State Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Zahid Maleque visited Bahrain in December 2017.

  • Foreign Minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP paid a three-day official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain from 21-23 December 2015 to Bahrain at the invitation of his Bahraini Counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

  • A Bahraini Parliamentary delegation led by Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Aradi, First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament participated in the 136th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Dhaka from 1-5 April 2017.

  • A Bangladesh delegation led by Mr. Md. Israfil Alam, MP and comprised of Secretary, Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, Begum Shamsun Nahar, two Joint Secretaries (from BMET and Wefare Board), Director General (Consular) from MoFA, visited Bahrain from 12-18 April 2017 with a view to gathering first hand knowledge on the labour market situation in Bahrain.

  • A 3-member Bangladesh Parliamentary delegation attended the meeting of the APA Standing Committee on Economic and Sustainable Development Affairs held in Manama from 25-26 April 2017 at the invitation of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Group of Kingdom of Bahrain and the Secretary-General of Asian Parliamentary Assembly. The delegation comprised of Mr. Rafiqul Islam, MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Shipping, Mr. M. Amanullah, MP and Mr. Sultan Mahmood, Additional Secretary, Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat.