International Seminar on Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Bangladesh Foundation for Regional Studies (BFRS) jointly organised an International Seminar on “Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook: Opportunities and Way Forward” on 02 September 2023 at the BIISS auditorium. HE Dr AK Abdul Momen MP, Honourable Foreign Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, graced the international seminar as the Chief Guest. HE Md Shahriar Alam MP, Honourable State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, was present as the Special Guest. Ambassador AFM Gousal Azam Sarker, Chairman, BIISS Chaired the Inaugural Session and delivered the Welcome Address. Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, presented the Keynote Address. Director General of BIISS Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, OSP, SGP, BAMS, afwc, psc Chaired the Closing Session. The Introductory Remark was delivered by Mr ASM Shamsul Arefin, Chairman, BFRS. The Keynote Address was delivered by Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Ambassador Pankaj Saran, Convener, Centre for Research on Strategic and Security Issues, New Delhi also delivered his remarks in the Inaugural Session and Mr M J Akbar, Former Minister of State for External Affairs of India delivered his remarks in the Closing Session.  

There were four sessions in the international seminar including the Inaugural and Closing Session. The first working session titled “Prosperity and Resilience” was moderated by Ambassador Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, BB, President, Association of Former Ambassadors and the second working session titled “Inclusive Security for Growth and Development” was moderated by Ambassador Ahmad Tariq Karim, Director Center for Bay of Bengal Studies, Independent University, Bangladesh. Distinguished panelists of the working sessions were HE Salman Al Farisi, Secretary General, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Professor Dr Hideaki Shinoda, Graduate School of Global Studies Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Professor Surat Horachaikul, Director, Indian Studies Center Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Ambassador Ravinatha P Aryasinha, Executive Director, Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, Colombo, Barrister Nihad Kabir, President, Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, IN (Retd),  Chairman, National Maritime Foundation, India, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Mr Michael Kugelman, Director, South Asia Institute Wilson Center,Washington, DC, Dr David Brewster, Senior Research Fellow, National Security College Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, and Professor Dr Lailufar Yasmin, Chairperson, Department of International Relations University of Dhaka.