The main focus of the thesis is the extent to which, conceptually or in practice, public diplomacy can be an effective tool in the case of an emerging nation. During its emergence the new nation state of Bangladesh employed public diplomacy alongside traditional diplomacy. It was used to influence international and regional actors and to promote the image of Bangladesh in order to change the opinions of the global community. Public diplomacy assumed great importance in the late 20th century as a means of controlling the image of a country. It has been defined as "the promotion of the national interest of any country by informing, engaging, and influencing people throughout the world". In recent years it has been used to pursue particular foreign policy goals, to acquire economic or political assistance at times of national crisis and to influence world opinion during periods of national emergency. The present thesis explores the effectiveness of the concept of public diplomacy and its role in the emergence of the state of Bangladesh. The independence war of 1971 is analysed in the light of theoretical issues associated with the study of public diplomacy. The efforts of defecting Bengali diplomats to use the different tools of public diplomacy in order to influence world opinion are examined. It is argued that public diplomacy is more likely to be successful in a context where a democratic social and political environment exists. The study also recognises that, although it may be possible to alter public opinion, changing government policy might not always occur merely as a consequence of the use of public diplomacy.