BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

EMERGING STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE IN THE BAY OF BENGAL AND MARITIME CAPABILITY BUILDING OF BANGLADESH

Author: Md. Jahan Sholeb, Md. Muhibbur Rahman

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.566888/BIISSj2014v35n1a2

ABSTRACT

The paper seeks to assess the growing strategic importance of the Bay of Bengal and how this signifies for Bangladesh’s imperative to develop strong maritime capabilities. With the growing significance of the Bay of Bengal, both the littoral and the extra-littoral countries are reassessing their interests in this region and reformulating respective strategies to ensure optimum benefit in their favour. After the verdict by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in March 2012, Bangladesh is now able to establish its claim over a significant area in the Bay of Bengal. These emerging realities are driving Bangladesh to develop capabilities to project effective control over its maritime zone and to ensure sustainable utilisation of marine resources. To respond efficiently, Bangladesh government has undertaken various initiatives including modernisation of the Bangladesh Navy with an aim of establishing a three dimensional force. The paper, based on secondary literature, finds that there is a growing interest among the countries in the Bay of Bengal area leading to a competitive strategic atmosphere for countries like Bangladesh. The findings also suggest that Bangladesh’s drive for maritime capability building is a timely and pragmatic step which requires further strengthening in the coming years. Besides, the paper also argues that Bangladesh needs to formulate a comprehensive maritime strategy, focusing on diverse sectors of capability building. Some key areas can include empowering the coast guard, resource exploration and exploitation capacities, maritime infrastructure development for connectivity and seaborne trade as well as well-coordinated maritime governance.