Bangladesh and the world

Current Affairs is an anthology of articles on contemporary issues written by former ambassador Barrister Harun ur Rashid in newspapers and newsmagazines. Most of them were published in the years 2011 and 2012.
The book consists of 337 pages and was published in February this year by Academic Press and Publishers Library (APPL), Dhaka.
Although such articles have a short shell period, only those articles which are of relevance to the issues of today have found space in the book. The articles cover a wide range of subjects that are of importance to Bangladesh --- political, economic and strategic --- as power shifts to the Asia Pacific region.
The articles are structured into four themes---Bangladesh, South Asia, Middle East and International Relations. They contain investigative commentaries on contemporary burning issues affecting all countries.
The article may be read individually or read together, from subject to subject. Either way, a common golden thread of shifting global geo-politics will be evident from the articles.
The author argues that no powerful country can resolve global issues alone as countries are interconnected with one another much more than any other period in time earlier because of globalization.
Located between India and China and given the geo-political paradigm shift, Bangladesh is able to play an important role, not only with its proposed regional interconnectivity with both India and China but also with its access to the high seas of the Indian Ocean.   The book also provides a glimpse into critical issues, including the challenges of Bangladesh foreign policy in relation to how Bangladesh fits in when power happens to be shifting to the Asia Pacific region.
The author is conscious of the fact that his views as expressed in the articles may not be unanimously shared by others. But he will be happy if it generates a healthy discussion on the issues covered in the book.
The book is a major contribution to the understanding of contemporary issues and constitutes a rich resource for anyone who is interested in domestic, regional and international cooperation.