ON COLLECTIVE ACTOR DETERRENCE AND SMALL STATES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: RELEVANCE FOR BANGLADESH

The marginalisation and neglect of small states vis-à-vis the dominance of great powers in the academic literature on international relations has historical precedent. Deterrence scholarship, both during and after the Cold War, is also no exception. Traditionally centred on nuclear and great powers, this field has overlooked the agency of small states. However, given the increasing geopolitical and economic significance of small states in the 21st century, the article posits that small states’ marginalisation in deterrence literature deprives the field of the opportunity to become richer and more comprehensive. Regarding available deterrence strategies, the article argues that relying solely on military measures to practice deterrence will not only narrow the scope for small states but also render it impractical. This is because small states are unlikely to dominate the military escalation ladder for obvious reasons, including their relative military inferiority, geopolitical constraints, and resource limitations. To address this, the article emphasises the concept of collective actor deterrence, wherein small states adopt a broader approach to deterrence that leverages international law, international norms, multilateral agreements, economic interdependence, and intergovernmental organisations to offset their limited military capabilities. Drawing on examples such as Bangladesh’s use of international legal mechanisms, multilateral diplomacy, and economic interconnectedness in safeguarding its strategic interests, the article demonstrates how contemporary small states increasingly rely on broader non-military instruments of deterrence.