Experts in NSU seminar call on Bangladesh to secure its economic and development goals within the growing Asian alliances
On February 14, 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). They urged the Bangladesh government to identify the key areas of interest to achieve the country's economic and development goals within the developing Asian alliances. The participants noted that Asia is becoming the centre 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.
The seminar was presided over by Prof. Dr M. Ismail Hossain, Pro-VC of NSU and moderated by Prof. Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, the director of the Center for Peace Studies. The special guest was Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam, Secretary of the Maritime Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The seminar was divided into three interrelated sessions, with papers presented on Bangladesh's relationship with the Indo-Pacific, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (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. Furthermore, the paper also discussed the opportunities it presents for Bangladesh to make politico-leverages on its pre-existing alliances and seek out new ones.
The discussants, Mr Iwama Kiminori, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Bangladesh, 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.
Finally, 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 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.