DHAKA, Oct. 26 — Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, MP, embarked on a five-day official visit to Spain and the United Kingdom on Monday, signaling a strategic diplomatic push to deepen European economic partnerships and leverage cultural diplomacy as a core instrument of the nation’s foreign policy.
The European tour, running from October 26 to 30, includes high-level engagements with foreign dignitaries, industry leaders, and institutional representatives to broaden bilateral cooperation across trade, direct foreign investment, tourism, skills enhancement, and institutional cultural exchanges.
The visit opened in Seville, Spain, where the State Minister officially inaugurated the 3rd Spain-Bangladesh Expo 2026 on Monday. Organized by the Spain-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SBCCI) under the banner “Stronger Partnership, Shared Prosperity,” the exposition provides a strategic platform linking Bangladeshi export enterprises directly with Spanish manufacturing networks, institutional importers, and prospective investors.
Following the Spain leg, State Minister Shama Obaed is scheduled to travel to London for bilateral and institutional meetings on October 29 and 30. Her diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom will center heavily on cultural diplomacy—championing Bangladeshi contemporary art and heritage, forging sustainable bilateral cultural partnerships, and mapping international pathways to advance Bangladesh’s rapidly evolving creative economy.
The dual-nation visit underscores Dhaka’s calibrated foreign policy doctrine aimed at diversifying European trade relations, courting foreign capital, and deploying soft-power diplomacy across key Western partners.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh