President of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) Major General (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman has said the Bay of Bengal is slowly evolving into a major maritime space which might eventually evolve into a major arena towards regional and global strategic contestations.
While discussing its strategic significance and role of Bangladesh, he highlighted the growing rivalry and sense of contestation towards acquiring even further influence in the strategic sphere.
"Various territorial and extra-territorial entities have been engaging in a number of naval exercises in the maritime region. This extensive level of interest and presence of these entities will introduce further competition and hostilities, which is not conducive towards the sustenance of peace in the region, said Muniruzzaman.
He made the remarks at the BIPSS-Dhaka Tribune Roundtable titled, “The Strategic Significance of The Bay of Bengal and Role of Bangladesh'' which was held at The Westin Dhaka on Monday.
Muniruzzaman said Bangladesh needs to firmly understand and utilise its geo-political relevance in the region.
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"It can establish itself as a bridge between the landlocked countries and the Bay of Bengal, further bolstering its leverage," he said.
The roundtable was attended by diplomats, scholars, security experts, and youth representatives from various disciplines.
The first keynote speaker, Brigadier General Shahedul Anam Khan (Retd), started his presentation with a firm emphasis on the geostrategic implications of the Bay of Bengal on Bangladesh.
He said that the rise of nationalism and protectionism has led to an era of disintegration over the years in the South Asian region while mentioning the practice of not availing the strategic and economic benefits that come with it
Shahedul Anam also talked about the formulation and maybe even plausible alterations of the Indo-Pacific Strategy with relation to the Bay of Bengal and its possible aftermaths for the region.
He highlighted the concept of the Big Brother States and the plausible role of IORA towards dictating the strategic aspects in the region.
Shahedul Anam eventually stretched upon the necessity for cooperation and integration of ideal policy approaches for better mutual benefits and growth.
Focusing on the role of the maritime significance of the Bay of Bengal, the second keynote speaker Rear Admiral Kazi Sarwar Hossain (Retd) talked about the security architecture for the Bay of Bengal and the wider maritime region.
He further illustrated how the Bay of Bengal has evolved as a major strategic construct over the years and how it has garnered major interests from existing and aspiring powers.
Sarwar also highlighted the major marine ecology and biodiversity existent within the Bay of Bengal, the dependence of life and livelihoods through these marine resources, and how these resources can be endangered due to climate change, further introducing non-traditional security threats.
He put forth a few ideas like the formulation of a multilateral form of capable maritime forces and the adoption of comprehensive strategies and usher ideas to reap maximum benefits and mitigate the possibilities of turbulence from the Bay of Bengal as a strategic construct.
The third and final keynote speaker, Parvez Karim Abbasi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Economics at East-West University talked about the underlying factors, interfaces, and different caveats concerning the geo-economic realities of the Bay of Bengal region.
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He highlighted the significance of the maritime region, the lack of exploration and exploitation of this 'rather resourceful' basin.
Abbasi expanded upon the highly untapped potential and the promotion of a Blue Economy in the Bay of Bengal, including the trade potential and economic community, the underlying opportunities and challenges, and the policy approaches that ought to be undertaken.