Bangladesh

Independent from Pakistan since 1971, Bangladesh is a Southern Asian country. Except for the southeast - where it borders Myanmar - and the south, where it is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is entirely surrounded by India. With a population of over 165 million and a density of about 1,265 people per sq. Km, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on earth. The official language is Bengali.

Within the complex political framework of South Asia, the country has built its foreign policy mainly on the relations with India and Pakistan. In spite of the recent slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, in the past decade Bangladesh’s economic growth has been quite strong, with an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.48 percent. This was the result of the development of an important export-oriented manufacturing sector, especially focused on clothing, but also of agricultural development. Recently stricken by terrorist attacks, Bangladesh has increased its efforts to counter this threat and establish cooperation in the field of security and defence with several countries within, as well as outside, the region.

Relations between Bangladesh and Italy are stable, both economically and diplomatically. Total annual trade between the two countries exceeded $ 2 billion in 2021. Bangladesh mainly exports to Italy clothing and food, while Italian exports mainly consist of products from the boating, mechanics, electronics and transport sectors. Several Italian companies have a presence in the country. Additionally, in the last few years, Italy has also been the destination of a considerable number of migrants from Bangladesh, so much so that today the approximately 150,000-strong Bangladeshi community is the seventh-largest foreign community in Italy.