The Bay of Bengal is no longer merely a regional body of water connecting South and Southeast Asia. It has emerged as a central theatre of contemporary Indo-Pacific strategy, a vital corridor for global trade and a shared space where the security, prosperity and stability of more than 1.8 billion people are deeply interconnected.
These observations were made by Maj. Gen. ANM Muniruzzaman (retd), President of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) at a recent expert roundtable held in the city. The roundtable on ''Strengthening the BIMSTEC Security Pillar: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward'' was jointly organised on Tuesday by BIPSS and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation at the BIMSTEC Secretariat in the capital.
BIMSTEC member states include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
In his introductory remarks, Maj. Gen. Muniruzzaman pointed to the immense economic dynamism and growing strategic significance of the Bay of Bengal. He said that this was closely tied to the collective security of the region and that regional cooperation to this end had never been more urgent. This, he stressed, was why BIMSTEC had assumed greater importance than ever before.
The interdependence of the BIMSTEC states brings enormous opportunity, but it also means that instability in one part of the region can quickly affect the security and prosperity of others
He said it was imperative to identify how BIMSTEC can develop the shared capacity, trust, coordination and political commitment necessary to address the shared challenges of the region.
In his opening remarks, Secretary General of BIMSTEC Ambassador, Indra Mani Pandey, briefed the roundtable on the recent developments and activities of the initiative, highlighting the focus on maritime security, cyber security, space cooperation, Himalayan security council, anti-money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking as well and legal and law enforcement issues.
He pointed to the recent disastrous floods in Nepal and the direct implications to the region. This, he said, is an example why such an ecosystem is so important.
Speaking on illicit trafficking in drugs, he said BIMSTEC had signed an MoU with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in April this year. He spoke of the other conventions and agreements taken up by BIMSTEC and highlight the need for concerted effort to implement these initiatives.
Maritime insecurity can disrupt food supplies, energy imports, digital cables and humanitarian operations at the same time. Climate disasters can cause displacement, economic distress and more
The keynote at the roundtable was presented by Dr Rasheduzzaman, Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka. He began with the observation that the interdependence of the BIMSTEC states brings enormous opportunity, but it also means that instability in one part of the region can quickly affect the security and prosperity of others.
BIMSTEC has just entered its 30th anniversary year and he felt this was cause for both celebration and honest institutional reflection.
Highlighting the focus on security, he said that regional connectivity cannot flourish if roads, ports, shipping routes and border areas remain vulnerable to conflict, trafficking and organised crime. Trade and investment cannot expand without secure financial systems, predictable maritime routes and confidence in digital transactions.
Similarly, energy cooperation required secure grids. Food security, public health, climate resilience and disaster preparedness were now inseparable from national and regional security. Accordingly, security was the very foundation of BIMSTEC. And broadly speaking, this comprises Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Energy, and Disaster Management.
Deliberating on the various partnerships of BIMSTEC, Dr Rasheduzzaman mentioned agreements signed between BIMSTEC and UNODC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
He also went on to point out that the security climate had changed and the security agenda focussing on threats such as terrorism, narcotics and natural disasters were not enough. He pointed out how these threats overlap. Maritime insecurity can disrupt food supplies, energy imports, digital cables and humanitarian operations at the same time. Climate disasters can cause displacement, economic distress and more.
After detailing on the expanding cyber threats, they keynote speaker zeroed in on crimes close to home, such as scam centres being set up in Chattogram only recently.
Other points covered in the keynote included weapons crossing borders, maritime security beyond naval security, mountain well-being which was now a part of regional security and more.
In conclusion, he said it was important for BIMSTEC to take further practical action to translate its declarations into tangible public good, protecting the lives, livelihoods and shared future of the 1.8 billion people in the region.
As the penultimate part of the roundtable, Gen. Muniruzzaman pitched a number of questions for an interactive session among the erudite audience who included maritime experts, security specialists, economists, academia, journalists, diplomats and more.
The roundtable concluded with closing remarks by Shafqat Munir, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research (BCTR) at BIPSS. He said BIMSTEC needs to evolve into an engine of cooperation. The policy focuses needed immediate recalibration. He stressed the importance of institutional information sharing on security issues, saying information had to travel faster than the threat.
There was need also to up the application of AI while aggressively countering disinformation. As security was of highest concern, he ended with a strong recommendation for meetings among the defence chiefs of the BIMSTEC member countries.