A twist in the tale of Asian exceptionalism: Bangladesh’s ‘near accession’ to the 1951 Refugee Convention

Development summary

The article examines Bangladesh’s near accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention in 1989, focusing on a major refugee-hosting State in South Asia. It identifies UNHCR’s efforts to promote accession, the military-backed government’s search for domestic and international legitimacy, and the roles of key individuals in the government and UNHCR as major factors; it states that Bangladesh did not implement its formal decision to accede and remains a non-signatory State.