Bangladesh Cannot Afford to Underinvest in Cultural Diplomacy Any Longer

I felt a familiar disappointment wash over me as I walked through Washington, DC’s Winternational festival this year -- a landmark celebration of global diplomacy where embassies from around the world showcase their food, crafts, art, and identity to tens of thousands of visitors. South Asian nations were out in full force. Pakistan had a vibrant and beautifully curated pavilion; Nepal offered its irresistible street snacks; Sri Lanka poured tea and served homemade sweets; even the Maldives -- half the population of a Dhaka neighborhood -- was proudly, visibly present.

But Bangladesh -- the world’s eighth-most populous country and the ninth-largest economy in Asia -- was nowhere to be found.

Working at the Qatar Cultural Attaché Office in Washington, DC, I see every day how cultural diplomacy works -- not in theory, but in practice. Our office treats public diplomacy as a priority. We invest heavily in our presence at events like Winternational. Staff members rotate annually to support the Qatar stall. The intention is simple: if you want your country to be visible, relatable, and respected, you have to show up.

Of course, not every nation has Qatar’s resources. But the truth is that effective cultural diplomacy does not require deep pockets. Many of the countries represented at Winternational -- with far smaller GDPs than Bangladesh -- created compelling presences with modest means. What they did require was coordination, intention, and an understanding that culture is not ornamental to diplomacy -- it is diplomacy.

This is precisely what Bangladesh continues to underestimate.

The Old Model Isn’t Working

For decades, Bangladesh’s approach to cultural diplomacy has been both earnest and misguided. The government often sent costly delegations of artists and performers abroad -- large troupes that sang Bangla songs and performed dances beloved by Bengalis but largely unfamiliar to global audiences.

These efforts were heartfelt, but they weren’t strategic. They were designed for Bangladeshis abroad rather than for non-Bangladeshi audiences. They rarely generated lasting curiosity or cultural traction. In an era where even small states aggressively brand themselves, Bangladesh’s absence grows more conspicuous each year.

We Are Sitting on Untapped Global Soft Power

The irony is that Bangladesh has more soft-power potential today than at any moment in its history.

Take music. Coke Studio Bangla has reintroduced Bangla folk, fusion, and pop to millions worldwide, following a trajectory similar to Pakistan’s original Coke Studio, which helped put Pakistani music firmly on the global cultural map. Songs like Bulbuli, Deora, and Kotha Koiyo Na transcend language through emotion, rhythm, and visual storytelling. Bangladeshi musical identity has finally found an exportable form -- authentic, modern, and globally legible.

The world is listening. Bangladesh simply needs to amplify.

Film and Streaming: Bangladesh’s Most Underleveraged Cultural Asset

Perhaps most striking -- and most underutilized -- is Bangladesh’s growing presence in global film and streaming ecosystems.

Bangladesh-made films and series are increasingly finding international audiences through global platforms, including Netflix. Contemporary Bangladeshi storytelling -- gritty, urban, socially grounded, and emotionally nuanced -- has proven that it can travel. These productions introduce global viewers to Dhaka’s streets, Bangladeshi humor, class tensions, family dynamics, and moral dilemmas in ways that policy papers and embassy receptions never could.

This matters enormously. In the 21st century, cultural perception is shaped less by official messaging and more by what people watch at home. South Korea understood this with K-dramas. India understands it with Bollywood and streaming originals. Turkey leveraged television serials into geo-political soft power across the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Bangladesh, almost accidentally, has begun doing the same -- but without any strategic support, promotion, or alignment with diplomatic objectives.

Imagine Bangladeshi embassies hosting screenings, discussions, and film festivals tied to these global releases. Imagine diplomats understanding which Bangladeshi shows are trending abroad and using them as entry points for engagement. Imagine a cultural diplomacy strategy that treats film not as entertainment, but as narrative power.

That infrastructure does not yet exist. It should.

A Global Figure Waiting to Be Fully Leveraged

Then there is Professor Muhammad Yunus -- Nobel laureate, global icon of social business, and, at this point, the outright Pookie-in-Chief of the international development community.

For nearly two decades, he has been one of the most recognizable Bangladeshi faces in the world. His renewed leadership role presents an extraordinary opportunity to reframe Bangladesh’s global story around innovation, social justice, gender inclusion, and dignified entrepreneurship.

Most countries would treat a figure like Yunus as a cornerstone of national branding. Bangladesh has showcased him on international platforms, but the real opportunity lies in translating his story into public-facing narratives -- documentaries, media partnerships, cultural programming -- that resonate far beyond policy circles.

The Moment for a Reimagined Cultural Diplomacy Strategy

Bangladesh is overdue for a complete rethink of how it projects itself abroad. The goal should not be to replicate Qatar, India, or South Korea. It should be to build a distinctly Bangladeshi model -- modern, confident, and globally compelling.

That could include:

• A guaranteed presence at major cultural fairs and expos in key capitals: Bangladesh should never again be absent where its peers are visible

• Partnerships with diaspora entrepreneurs, artists, filmmakers, and restaurateurs: Cultural diplomacy need not be state-heavy; it can empower Bangladeshis already shaping global culture.

• Strategic investment in globally resonant cultural exports: Music, film, fashion, visual art, and digital storytelling should be treated as diplomatic assets.

• Integrating Bangladeshi films and streaming content into public diplomacy: Screenings, festivals, and discussions can turn passive consumption into active engagement.

• Making Professor Yunus central to Bangladesh’s global narrative: His story embodies values the world already respects.

• Moving beyond nostalgia: The world does not need another performance of “Amar Shonar Bangla” for audiences who cannot contextualize it. Cultural diplomacy must communicate who we are to others, not only who we are to ourselves.

Bangladesh Can -- and Must -- Do Better

It is difficult to watch smaller South Asian countries project their identities so confidently while Bangladesh remains invisible at events where visibility is the entire point. The diaspora is hungry for representation. Global audiences are curious. Bangladesh’s cultural heritage is rich, syncretic, and emotionally powerful.

What Bangladesh lacks is not culture, talent, or stories -- but the vision and infrastructure to translate them into sustained soft power.

Bangladesh’s economy has outgrown its diplomatic imagination. The country is ready for a cultural diplomacy strategy worthy of its size, achievements, and ambitions.

And the world is ready for Bangladesh -- if Bangladesh is finally ready to show up.

Atif Choudhury is Founder and CEO of the US-Bangladesh NextGen Fellowship & Policy Institute, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Vanderbilt Center for Global Democracy, a Non-Academic Fellow at the University of South Carolina Rule of Law Collaborative, and an Academic Relations Strategist at the Qatar Cultural Attache Office in Washington DC.