Three Bangladesh missions abroad near completion

After years of planning and delays, Bangladesh is finally nearing completion of three out of eight high-profile projects to build permanent missions abroad, an initiative involving over Tk1,000 crore, officials familiar with the matter said.

The foreign affairs ministry, in a move to upgrade its global presence, undertook the construction of new embassy and consulate buildings in Islamabad, Bandar Seri Begawan, Berlin, Thimphu, Canberra, Cairo, Jeddah, and a Bangladesh House in Riyadh.

Among the projects, the Islamabad mission complex, with a budget of Tk97.42 crore, is virtually completed as of 30 June 2025, according to sources in both Dhaka and Islamabad. The facility will house a chancery complex, diplomatic dormitories, and a newly built Bangladesh House.

Two other missions — located in Brunei and Saudi Arabia— are also in the final stages of construction after recent budget revisions, sources in the respective countries and Dhaka confirmed.

Foreign ministry officials said the government's push for constructing purpose-built missions abroad marks a strategic shift from rented premises to permanent state-owned buildings, aimed at long-term cost savings and diplomatic visibility.

Initially poor evaluation and monitoring, lack of proper budget and guidance, political tension between two countries and short vision stood in the way of completing the project in time despite being in the priority list of the government, sources in Dhaka and Islamabad said. 

Sources said that Bangladesh perhaps got the largest piece of land in the posh diplomatic zone (16 bighas) in Islamabad.

Initially parties who took part in the bidding process in the construction of Bangladesh high commission in Islamabad had quoted low prices to win the bidding.

Later, however, the Bangladesh government had to revise the budget as the cost of materials increased and Pakistan currency lost its value against US dollars. 

The economic and social engagement of Bangladesh with Pakistan has increased since the fall of Awami League regime on 5 August, 2024.

The Bangladesh government took an initiative to construct a permanent mission in Islamabad back in 2007.

The initial project of the Bangladesh mission was Tk29.80 crore back in 2007. After revising four times, the project cost has been estimated at Tk97.42 crore. 

Meanwhile, the project of constructing Bangladesh chancery complex is near completion in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei this year, sources in Dhaka and Bandar Seri Begawan.

The government spent Tk66.66 crore during 2024-25 fiscal year to complete the construction of a chancery and a high commissioner's residence. The duration of the project ranged between March 2017 and June, 2025.

The project of constructing a permanent mission in Berlin began in the 2024-25 fiscal year, when the government allocated Tk32.21 crore. 

The project to construct the Bangladesh house in Thimphu has been completed with an expense of Tk72.2587 crore. The government disbursed third and fourth instalments valued at Tk46.21 crore during 2024-25 fiscal year to complete the project, sources said.

The project to construct a chancery complex in Riyadh slowed down in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The duration of the project is September 2019 to June 2025. The total project cost has been revised at Tk45.00 crore. Initially the cost of constructing Bangladesh House was Tk34.26 crore and was later revised twice. 

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government took a project to construct a chancery complex in Jeddah with Tk226.29 crore after the first revised budget. The spending stood at only Tk3 crore as of June 30, 2024.

Also, the project to construct Bangladesh chancery complex in Canberra marked poor progress during the last three years. The estimated project cost of the chancery complex is Tk146.87 crore, which was scheduled to be completed in June 2025. Only Tk6.48 crore was spent in 2023-24 fiscal year.

The Ecnec on 28 March, 2024 okayed a project costing over Tk165 crore to construct a chancery and resident quarters in Cairo with the duration of the project ranging between July, 2024 and June, 2028. 

Bangladesh maintains a growing number of diplomatic and consular missions worldwide. As of 2024, it has 80 missions around the world, comprising 59 embassies or high commissions, 20 consular missions, and two permanent missions to the United Nations in New York City and Geneva.

The country has permanent establishments in New Delhi, Kolkata, Ankara, New York, Washington DC and Tokyo.