MIDA to prepare ‘blue economy blueprint’ for next elected government: Ashik Chowdhury

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Moheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA), said the interim administration is working to prepare a comprehensive "blue economy blueprint" that will be handed over to the next elected government.

He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a two-day regional dialogue today (13 January) titled "North East Indian Ocean regional dialogue on sustainable blue economy, connectivity and resilience for SIDS" held in Dhaka.

"If you look at the statistics, Bangladesh's landmass is 130,000 square kilometres, while our maritime area in the Bay of Bengal spans approximately 164,000 square kilometres. Yet, we do not spend even one-tenth of the energy on our sea as we do on our land," Ashik Chowdhury said.

He said MIDA is fast-tracking initiatives to develop Moheshkhali into a modern coastal industrial city while ensuring the protection of fisheries and marine biodiversity. Ashik Chowdhury also noted that MIDA is working with Japan's Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Ocean Policy Research Institute to modernise Bangladesh's fisheries sector.

The collaboration aims to train coastal communities in deep-sea fishing, disaster management, and climate resilience. "Our goal is to protect existing fisheries and biodiversity while building a sophisticated industrial setting.

We want to ensure that the livelihoods of the local fishing community are improved through better resource management," he added. Referring to the transition of power, he said one of the key responsibilities of the interim government is to lay a strong foundation for the future.

"We want to move forward with a clear blueprint. One of the major responsibilities of this government is to create a starting point and a platform. We are preparing this foundation so that when the elected government takes office, they have a ready-to-implement plan to drive the economy forward using our coastal and marine resources," Ashik said.

The dialogue brought together experts from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other stakeholders. Ashik Chowdhury said that although Bangladesh is not a small island nation, coastal areas such as Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, Hatiya, and Sandwip face similar challenges and can benefit from global experiences shared at the forum.

Speaking at the event, Ocean Policy Research Institute President Mitsutaku Makino said, "The Indian Ocean connects over 33 nations and nearly three billion people, serving as a critical corridor where our destinies intertwine.

Our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific is rooted in the belief that maritime security, sustainable development, and ocean stewardship must advance hand in hand." The two-day policy dialogue was hosted by the Ocean Policy Research Institute in collaboration with MIDA and Peace and Policy Solutions (PPS).

Among others, the event was attended by Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, additional secretary at the Ministry of Environment, and Moogdho Mahzab, adviser to Peace and Policy Solutions.