At the 2025 Investor Summit in Dhaka on April 8, 2025, the United States formally welcomed Bangladesh as the 54th signatory of the Artemis Accords, an international agreement that promotes peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration.
Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Md. Ashraf Uddin, signed the Accords on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of U.S. Charge d’Affaires to Bangladesh, Tracey Jacobson, according to a statemen from the State Department.
“The United States and Bangladesh enjoy an enduring partnership of more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing our partnership promoting economic development and regional security in the Indo-Pacific,” noted the statement. “Bangladesh’s signing of the Artemis Accords demonstrates its willingness to join a growing coalition of countries that share a vision of peaceful exploration and use of outer space.”
Originally launched in 2020 by the United States and seven partner nations, the Artemis Accords outline a set of “practical principles to guide responsible space exploration.”
By joining the initiative, Bangladesh aligns itself with a growing coalition of space-faring and aspiring space nations. Other signatories include Angola, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, among many others.
The U.S. Department of State and NASA jointly lead the nation’s efforts in advancing and implementing the Artemis Accords globally.