The United States has officially welcomed Bangladesh as the 54th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at promoting peaceful, responsible, and sustainable space exploration. The announcement was made through a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State on Thursday, April 10.

Bangladesh formally joined the Artemis Accords during an event held at the Investment Summit in Dhaka on April 8. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh by Defense Secretary Md. Ashraf Uddin. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Bangladesh, Tracy Jacobson, was present at the signing ceremony.

The statement emphasized that Bangladesh’s participation marks a new chapter in global efforts toward space research and the peaceful use of outer space. The move is also seen as a continuation of over five decades of mutual cooperation between the two nations, reinforcing their shared goals for economic progress and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

Originally introduced in 2020 by the United States along with seven founding partners, the Artemis Accords outline a set of practical principles for civil space exploration. Other signatory nations include Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Thailand, Switzerland, and Brazil, among others.

Implementation of the Artemis Accords is jointly led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, with the goal of fostering international collaboration in space exploration initiatives.