On 17 November 2024, DG BIMRAD shared his insights on the theme "Turbulent Waters: Navigating Maritime Security in a Divided Indo-Pacific" as a speaker, alongside other speakers from Australia, India, Madagascar, and the Acting High Commissioner of Australia for Bangladesh, at an international conference hosted by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, Bangladesh. This event was part of the 'Bay of Bengal Conversation' series. The discussions focused on the evolving dynamics of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, addressing the complexities posed by geopolitical tensions, shifting alliances, and the strategic importance of the marine economy, climate change, and coastal resilience.
As speaker, DG BIMRAD, in his initial discussion, analyzes how various regional realpolitik events—such as the South China Sea disputes, the Malacca Dilemma, and the competition among major powers in the Indo-Pacific—along with initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Big-B, SAGAR, the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), and the Quad, significantly influence Bangladesh's strategic outlook on Indo-Pacific strategies.
Bangladesh's Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO) was developed in hurry, and rather than being formulated on urgent basis, therefore, it should be revisited. This revision should not only consider because of the complex geopolitical and strategic landscape evolved in its proximity but also for reflecting the people aspirations of the new Bangladesh emerging after 5 August 2024. Furthermore, Bangladesh should pursue a balance strategy between the major powers and their respective strategies. In this context, it is imperative to move beyond the traditional IPO framework and adopt Indo-Pacific Regional Maritime Strategy of Realpolitik (RMSR). RMSR should be the most viable Indo-Pacific Strategy for addressing both Bangladesh’s national interests and regional mutual benefits and stability.
In the second half of the DG BIMRAD discussion, he addressed the question of why Bangladesh is seeking to join ASEAN and the maritime implications of such a move. He elaborated on the prospects and challenges Bangladesh may face as a potential ASEAN member. Notably, he highlighted the ongoing Myanmar crisis and its ramifications for regional security in both South and Southeast Asia. He emphasized that Bangladesh, due to its strategic geographic proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the Middle East, and ASEAN, could be a key stakeholder for this platform. Additionally, he suggested that Bangladesh can be benifited by leveraging ASEAN’s influence as a major player in the region to foster the repatriation process of Rohingya people. However, ASEAN is also adversely impacted by this regional humanitarian crisis.
At the Q&A session, DG BIMRAD addressed two key questions: the necessity of a centralized database system or Maritime Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI), and the need for a unified approach among all littoral countries to focus on nontraditional, often overlooked as ‘unreal’ threats. He emphasized that these emerging nontraditional threats should be recognized as ‘real’ threats and should combat them through cooperative efforts with collective strategies.
