Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies

A.S.M. Tarek Hassan Semul is a Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). He has more than 14 years of research and policy analysis experience in foreign policy, international security and strategic studies. He has worked extensively on power asymmetry among great powers and small states in the South and Southeast Asian region. He is interested in understanding small states' dilemmas and responses in brewing geostrategic rivalry among great powers in the Indian Ocean region. Nationalism and populism's reemergence as the response to the neoliberal and globalised world is another field of his research interest as he is interested to see if there are any common patterns or differences in such responses in the Western societies and the post-colonial states of South and Southeast Asia (i.e. Myanmar, India). Before joining BIISS, Mr Hassan worked at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) as a Programme Associate on a CPD-Christian Michelsen Institute, Norway, research project on parliaments and political parties of Bangladesh. Prior to that, he completed his internship at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) on a project titled Counter-Terrorism in Bangladesh. Mr Hassan obtained his MSS and BSS in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. In 2020, he participated in the Kautilya Fellowship Programme (KFP) on India’s foreign policy from New Delhi, India, hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and India Foundation. In 2023, he participated in the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on “Addressing 21st Century Global Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region”. Mr Hassan was selected as the 2025 cohort of the Indo-Pacific Young Leaders Program which is an integral part of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s broader effort to strengthen Canada’s engagement, relevance, and networks in the region, with funding support provided by the Government of Canada. Furthermore, he is a member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the Indo-Pacific Circle, India, a scholars’ network on the Indo-Pacific, hosted by the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR) and the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), India. Mr Hassan is BIISS’s Focal Point with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on ASEAN and ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum). Since 2025, Mr Hassan has been the peer reviewer for the Journal of The Pacific Review, a Journal of the University of Warwick, UK, published by the Taylor & Francis group.

Area of Expertise

Great power politics and geostrategic constructions (i.e. Indo-Pacific strategy, BRI, QUAD)
Maritime security in the Indian Ocean region
Globalization vis-à-vis nationalism, violent extremism, populism and right wing movements
Power asymmetry and foreign policy dilemmas of small states of South and Southeast Asia
Technology (i.e. cyber, artificial intelligence) and evolution warfare for state (great, middle and small powers) and non-state actors (i.e. violent extremist groups, terrorist networks, insurgent groups)

Journal Articles

2024, Bangladesh-US Relations and the Indo-Pacific: Influence of Systemic and Sub-Systemic Factors and Way Forward, BIISS Journal 45 (1), 1-30, DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2024v45n1a1
2023, Chinese and Indian Responses to Rohingya Crisis: The Convergence of Competing Powers, BIISS Journal 44(2), 143–160 DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2023v44n2a2
2018, co-authored with Mahbubur Rashid Bhuiyan, The Changing Nature of Warfare: Russian Hybrid Warfare in the 21st Century, BIISS Journal 39(4):339-358
2018, Balancing Game in the (Indo) Asia-Pacific: From ‘Thucydides Trap to Multiple Discourses? BIISS Journal 39(3):321-337
2017, Countercurrent to Globalization: Rise of Right-wing Populism in the Global North, BIISS Journal 39(1):83-100
2016, co-authored with Nazmul Arifeen, Drumming of Nuclear Armageddon: Looming Nuclear Standoff in the Korean Peninsula, BIISS Journal 37(4):301-324

Book Chapters

2020, co-authored with AKM Abdur Rahman, Changing Balance of Power in the Indo-Pacific Region: Challenges for Bangladesh. In: Security and Economic Challenges in the Indo-Pacific, Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) and Political Dialogue Asia Programme, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
2019, co-authored with Nazmul Arifeen, Rethinking Peace as Sustainable Development Goals: Peacebuilding in ‘Apparently-Peaceful’ Societies. In: Bangladesh in International Peacebuilding, Pathak Samabash.

Research Projects

Project Name: The Geopolitics of Neighbourhood and Bangladesh-Myanmar Relations: The Rohingya Crisis and Beyond

Position: Team Member

Project Funded by: Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS)
Duration: August 2020- August 2021

Paper Presentations

Paper presentation on, "Growing Geopolitical Competition: Challenges and Opportunities of Defence Diplomacy for Bangladesh" at the BIISS Seminar titled, "Defence Diplomacy: Strategy for Bangladesh", 18 April 2024.
Paper presentation in the Roundtable on “Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook: Focusing on Inclusive Security, Prosperity and Resilience”, 22 August 2023.
Interview Podcast with Indo-Pacific Circle, New Delhi, India on “Bangladesh's Indo-Pacific Outlook”
Panel Discussion with the British International Studies Association (BISA) on 'Civil Society and the Pandemic: Perspectives from South Asia', 06 April, 2023.
Paper presentation on "Myanmar and the Rohingyas: the Political Economy of Arms and Businesses" at the BIISS Seminar titled ‘Rohingyas and the Emerging Security Challenges: Response Strategy of Bangladesh’ on 23 February 2023.
Presented a paper titled “Bangladesh's Strategic Culture and Outlook” during the visit of Ms Donna Welton, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US State Department, to BIISS on 13 September 2022.
Presented a paper titled “Changing Global Order: Bangladesh’s Aspirations and Roles in the Multilateral System” during the visit of HE Ambassador Michele J Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, United States, at BIISS on 08 August 2022.
Presented a paper titled “Emerging Constellations in the Indo-Pacific: Foreign Policy Predicaments for Bangladesh” at the hybrid seminar on “Changing Global Order: Securing Bangladesh’s National Interest” on 16 June 2022.
Presented a paper titled, “Changing Balance of Power in the Indo-Pacific Region: Challenges for Bangladesh” at the “COSATT Authors’ Meeting: Book Project on Indo-Pacific”, organized by Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL), Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) and Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) on 19 October, 2019, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Presented a paper titled, “The Role of Global and Regional Actors in Shaping the Geopolitics in South Asia” at the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-National Defence College Delegation Visit Conference on 27 November, 2019, held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Balance of Power in the Indo-Pacific Region and Challenges for Bangladesh” at the National Defence College, India Delegation Visit Conference at BIISS on 25 August, 2019, held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Changing Geo-strategic Dynamics: Bangladesh-India Maritime Cooperation” at the Seminar titled, “Bangladesh-India Cooperation in the Changing Regional and Global Context”, during the visit of Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), India on 03 July, 2019 held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Bangladesh-China Relationship and emerging World Order” at the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) Delegation Visit Conference at BIISS on 27 June 2019 held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Changing Global Geopolitical Dynamics” at the National Defence College, Bangladesh Delegation Visit Conference at BIISS on 04 June, 2019, held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Emerging Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region” at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) Delegation Visit Conference at BIISS on 11 April, 2019 held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Emerging maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region” at an International Conference titled, “Security and Economic Challenges in the Indo-Pacific” jointly organized by Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) on 11 March, 2019, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Presented a Paper titled, “Preventing Violent Extremism: A Peacebuilding Perspective” at the international conference on Bangladesh in International Peacebuilding: Experience from Japan from 12-13 August 2018, held in Dhaka.
Presented a paper titled, “Challenges for Regional Cooperation in South Asia: Interstate Conflicts, Constraints in Forging Regional Consensus” in an international conference on "South Asia Amidst a New World Order" organized by Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT), from 25-26 March, 2018, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Academic Awards and Achievements

“Acclamatory Award” (2002-2003) from Notre Dame Debating Club for leadership excellence.
“Award for Excellence” (2000-2001) from M.G.B.S. Debating Club for debating excellence.

(2025) Cohort of the Indo-Pacific Young Leaders Program which is an integral part of the Asia Pacific Foundation (APF) of Canada’s broader effort to strengthen Canada’s engagement, relevance, and networks in the region, with funding support provided by the Government of Canada.
(2023) Participant of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on Addressing 21st Century Global Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region, June 24-July 15, 2023, granted by the US Department of State.
(2020) Participated in the EU South Asia Regional Training Workshop on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, organised by the European Union (EU), from 3-5 March 2020, held in Dhaka.
2020) Participant in the 3rd Kautilya Fellows Programme (KFP) on Indian Foreign Policy and Public Policy, organised by the India Foundation in association with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India from 26 January – 03 February 2020, held in New Delhi, India.
(2006) Participated in a national training workshop on “Rethinking Question of Rights, Justice and Development” organised by the Centre for Alternatives(CA) and Human Development(SHED) from 27th to 31st of March 2006.
(2005) Participated in the international training workshop on “Population Movements: Non-Traditional Issues in South Asian Security Discourse” organised by RMMRU (Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit).

“Geopolitical implications of the brewing tension in the Red Sea” in The Daily Star, January 26, 2024, available at https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/geopolitical-insights/news/geopolitical-implications-the-brewing-tension-the-red-sea-3528096
“Unpacking the geopolitical playbook as the junta collapses in Myanmar” in The Daily Star, December 12, 2023. available at https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/unpacking-the-geopolitical-playbook-the-junta-collapses-myanmar-3492106
“Operation 1027: Are tides turning in Myanmar's civil war?” in The Daily Star, November 28, 2023, available at https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/geopolitical-insights/news/are-tides-turning-myanmars-civil-war-3480831
“Myanmar and Rohingya Crisis Centrality: Consensus and Cleavages of ASEAN Ways”, in The Press Express, March 2023, available at https://pressxpress.org/2023/03/04/myanmar-and-rohingya-crisis-centrality-consensus-and-cleavages-of-asean-ways/
“Depuzzling Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Bangladesh”, in the Press Express, October 2022, available at, https://pressxpress.org/2022/10/01/depuzzling-indo-pacific-economicframework-for-bangladesh/
Co-authored with MA Saadi, “USA’s Growing Interest in the Indo-Pacific”, the Press Express, June 2022, available at, https://pressxpress.org/2022/06/03/usas-growing-interest-in-the-indo-pacific/