ABSTRACT
It is not surprising that Bangladesh's most important relations in the international system are with India. Neither Bangladesh nor Pakistan can ignore its large neighbor or the effect of its size, views, and actions on the domestic and international activities of the younger nations. Bangladesh must base its foreign policy upon its geopolitical situation. Recognizing this, Bangladesh under Zia took the lead among South Asian nations in forming the South Asian Regional Cooperation system, crystallized by a formal agreement of the countries' foreign ministers in August 1983. Burdened by economic and social problems, Bangladesh entered the world system in 1971 unrecognized by most countries and, in effect, unwanted by the United Nations. Bangladesh has close relations with the South Asian nations it shares common issues with, but there is little trade between Bangladesh and the other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations.
