Bangladesh strategically vital in Indo-Pacific  

Highlights:

• Bangladesh, located in the Bay of Bengal, is a vital country in geopolitical terms
• It needs to utilise its geographical advantage to increase economic opportunities fully
• In this regard, Japan has been developing Bangladesh's first deep seaport in Matarbari
• Bangladesh as the gateway to South and Southeast Asia remains geographically central in the Bay of Bengal  

The growing geopolitical significance of the Indo-Pacific has made Bangladesh strategically important in the region, said experts and policymakers at a seminar on Monday. 

"Bangladesh, located in the Bay of Bengal, is a vital country in geopolitical terms and it needs to utilise its geographical advantage to increase economic opportunities fully," said Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka ITO Naoki at the event.  

The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh jointly organised the seminar,  "Geopolitics of Indo-Pacific and Reconnecting the Bay of Bengal Littorals."

In this regard, ITO Naoki said Japan has been developing Bangladesh's first deep seaport in Matarbari, south of Chattogram, which constitutes the "Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (called Big-B)." 

"Japan pursues a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' policy that will ensure a rule-based international order to bring peace, stability, and prosperity for every country in the region. In this regard, Bangladesh is a country that recognises the importance of rule-based maritime order and shares its values with Japan and other like-minded countries," he added.

The hybrid seminar, both in-person and virtual, was held at the BIISS auditorium as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh.

Major General Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, director general of BIISS, said, "China's Belt and Road Initiative has increased the geopolitical importance of the Indian Ocean and the Straits of Malacca as a sea lane of communication. Recent great powers involved in the Indo-Pacific region have led to geopolitical uncertainties in this region, often engendering greater concern among the littorals of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region."

"Bangladesh as the gateway to South and Southeast Asia remains geographically central in the Bay of Bengal which allows it to play a pivotal role in regional and interregional trade and commercial activities," he added.

Talking about "Beyond US-China Relations: Japan's Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific", Kikuchi Tsutomu, Professor of International Political Economy at Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan, said, "The Indo-Pacific is more than the US and China. It's not just a battleground of two powers, but a playground for other countries to play constructive roles to sustain and enhance the rules-based regional order."

"They are not pawns at the mercy of power politics between the US and China, but capable of navigating the "great game" over the future of Asia. Now is the moment to step away from long-standing and old-fashioned assumptions that only the major powers can define that order," he added. 

He said Bangladesh, which is located on strategic trade routes of the Indo-Pacific, is a very important country for the realisation of Japan's Indo-Pacific vision.

He mentioned that Japan is pursuing three pillars to establish a rule-based order in this region: strengthening the alliance with the US; moving Southward to build networks with new alignments (bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral, and regional) with countries and institutions in the Indo-Pacific; and constructive engagement with China.

Professor Lailufar Yasmin of international relations at the University of Dhaka, said, "In the 50 years of bilateral relations between Japan and Bangladesh, we find more commonalities bind us than separate us. In this articulation, I shall highlight how with the rise of the Indo-Pacific, bilateral relations have reached new heights." 

Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of international relations at DU highlighted Bangladesh's unique features in terms of being a people's republic, having a liberation war, and a foreign policy that is amicable towards all.

He also talked about Bangladesh's position in the geopolitical race in the Indo-Pacific and noted that Bangladesh has no enemy.

As chief guest, lawmaker Muhammad Faruk Khan, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the forcibly displaced Rohingya people may increase security threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

To resolve the Rohingya crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sought support from Japan's current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the peaceful repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland of Myanmar, he added.

In his speech, the Japanese envoy said the world should not allow the one million Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh to be the cause of instability in the region.

Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, chairman of BIISS, presided over the session and delivered the concluding remarks. The working session was moderated by Rashed Uz Zaman, professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka.