In the diplomatic front and foreign relations, Bangabandhu was immensely successful. Bangladesh was recognized by more than 115 countries including most of the major powers of the world during his lifetime. Bangladesh became a member of many international organizations including the Commonwealth of Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Islamic Conference and the United Nations along with almost all the UN organizations as well as international financial bodies.

In his maiden speech in the United Nations in Bangla on 25 September 1974, Bangabandhu pledged, on behalf of the nation, to uphold the progressive values of peace, democracy, secularism, human rights, justice, disarmament and development nationally and globally. Since then, Bangabandhu’s peace-centric foreign policy motto “Friendship to all and malice towards none” has remained the cardinal guiding principle of Bangladesh’s relentless pursuit of the agenda for peace, tolerance, development and cooperation.