Experts call on Bangladesh to secure economic, dev goals

National security experts, academics, and international strategists gathered at the "Bangladesh's Approach towards Emerging Alliances in Asia" seminar, organised by the Center for Peace Studies (CPS), North South University (NSU).

The event took place on February 14.

They urged the Bangladesh government to identify the key areas of interest in order to achieve the country's economic and development goals within the developing Asian alliances. The participants noted that Asia is becoming the center of politics, economics, and culture, and that Bangladesh must overcome the challenges of being part of security alliances amid growing competition between global and regional powers, said a press release.

The seminar was presided over by Prof Dr M Ismail Hossain, pro-vice-chancellor of NSU, and moderated by Prof Sk Tawfique M Haque, director of the Center for Peace Studies.

The special guest at the event was Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, secretary of the Maritime Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. T

he seminar was divided into three interrelated sessions, with papers presented on Bangladesh's relationship with the Indo-Pacific, the Belt and Road Initiative, and ASEAN.

Dr M Jashim Uddin presented a paper on "Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific", discussing the new security concerns posed by the Indo-Pacific's strategic location, but also the opportunities it presents for Bangladesh to make politico-leverages on its preexisting alliances and seek out new ones.

The discussants -- Mr IWAMA Kiminori, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan, Brig Gen M Sakhawat Hussain, senior fellow, SIPG, NSU, and Dr Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau, assistant professor, NSU, all concurred.

Dr Lailufar Yasmin, professor and chairperson of the Department of International Relations at University of Dhaka, and Shanjida Shahab Uddin, a research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, discussed the benefits Bangladesh has received from increased trade and infrastructure development under the Belt and Road Initiative framework.

Dr Mahbubul Haque, from the Faculty of Law and International Relations at University Sultan Zainal Abidin in Malaysia, presented a paper on "Bangladesh and the Asean", with the discussants observing that Asean now presents an opportunity for greater participation on the continent through economic and security partnerships with regional and global powers.

Prof Dr M. Ismail Hossain, pro-vice-chancellor of NSU, emphasised the importance of following the "Friendship Towards all, Malice towards None" doctrine in securing the country's economic and development objectives within the emerging Asian alliances.