Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam
Geo-Political Economist
Being a coastal state of the Bay of Bengal the Indo-Pacific outlook of Bangladesh is a strategic document that reflects the country’s aspirations for engagement in a region that is becoming increasingly significant on the global stage. Here’s a general review of this outlook, highlighting its strengths and weakness along with areas where challenges might arise. The Indo-Pacific area’s collective share in global GDP, preponderance in international trade, enhanced climate action and growing technological dynamism can be key determinants for ensuring Bangladesh’s long-term resilience and prosperity. Bangladesh, therefore, envisions a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive Indo- Pacific for the shared prosperity for all. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, n.d.)
OBJECTIVES:
Consistent with some guiding principals and the above-mentioned principles, the following objectives will guide Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific outlook and engagements:
Strengthen mutual trust and respect, forge partnerships and cooperation, and promote dialogue and understanding with the aim of ensuring peace, prosperity, security and stability for all in the Indo-Pacific.
- Strengthen existing mechanisms on maritime safety and security in the Indo-Pacific, including response to emergencies at sea and conduct of search & rescue, and uphold the exercise of freedom of navigation & over-flight, in accordance with international law and relevant international conventions, including UNCLOS, 1982.
- Maintain meaningful and value-driven contribution to international non-proliferation, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and counter-terrorism efforts, including with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
- Support regional and international efforts towards combating transnational organized crimes in the Indo-Pacific through both normative and practical actions.
- Expand global lead on the flagship agenda of a ‘culture of peace’, enhance focus on the ‘women, peace and security’ agenda, promote interfaith harmony and work towards building peaceful, just and inclusive societies in the Indo-Pacific.
- Promote open, transparent, rules-based multilateral systems that enable equitable and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific and beyond through inclusive economic growth, right to development and shared prosperity for all.
- Enhance physical, institutional, energy, digital and human connectivity, facilitate movement of goods, services, capital, and people in a systematic manner, and promote technology transfer, access to innovations and responsible behavior in open and secure cyberspace and outer space.
- Leverage the domestic agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors towards building resilient regional and global value chains to better manage future crisis and disruptions and to promote unimpeded and free flow of commerce in the Indo-Pacific.
- Promote conservation, sustainable use and management of oceans, seas, and marine resources in the Indo-Pacific in pursuance of SDG-14 and other relevant internationally agreed development commitments.
- Engage proactively in promoting food security, water solidarity, and disaster risk reduction in the Indo-Pacific, including through disseminating home-grown good practices.
- Continue tangible work towards addressing the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, and other significant and harmful impacts on the environment in line with relevant international conventions and commitments.
- Foster cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries to ensure energy security for all, including through investment and technology transfer on renewable energy.
- Work towards developing coordinated response to future pandemics and ensuring health security, including through access for all to global public goods like vaccines, diagnostics and other treatments.
- Collaboration with sub-regional partners and relevant organizations towards bolstering regional cooperation and enhancing mutually beneficial complementarities.
- Strengthen collaboration and cooperation in science, technology, research and innovation for shared benefits of all, in keeping with the vision of ‘Smart Bangladesh’.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, n.d.)
STRENGTHS:
Vision Alignment: Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific outlook is well-aligned with its long-term developmental goals encapsulated in “Vision 2041”. The emphasis on stability, peace, and prosperity ensures that the regional engagements are structured to support national progress.
- Comprehensive Framework: The outlook provides a detailed framework based on key guiding principles like non-interference, peaceful dispute resolution, and adherence to international law. This broad framework is crucial for navigating complex regional dynamics and fostering mutual trust.
Focus on Sustainable Development: Bangladesh Indo Pacific document strongly emphasizes sustainable development, with particular attention to maritime safety and security, disaster risk reduction, and environmental conservation. This focus is critical in a region that faces significant challenges like climate change and natural disasters.
Inclusivity and Multilateralism: Bangladesh advocates for an open, transparent, and rules-based multilateral system. This approach not only promotes fairness and equity but also ensures that smaller states have a voice in shaping regional dynamics.
Engagement in Global Issues: The commitment to non-proliferation, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and addressing transnational organized crimes demonstrates Bangladesh’s willingness to contribute positively to global security concerns, which enhances its international standing.
CHALLENGES:
- Resource Constraints: Implementing such a comprehensive outlook requires substantial resources, both financial and human. Bangladesh must manage these resource allocations wisely amidst competing domestic priorities.
- Balancing Big Power Relations: Navigating the interests of major powers in the Indo-Pacific, such as the United States, China, and India, poses a diplomatic challenge. Balancing these relationships while advancing national interests without getting embroiled in power conflicts is crucial.
- Regional Tensions: The Indo-Pacific is a region of strategic competition, particularly with ongoing disputes in the South China Sea and tensions on the Korean peninsula. Engaging effectively while maintaining neutrality and peace could be challenging.
- Economic Integration: While the document promotes economic integration and connectivity, the actual implementation of these policies in a region with diverse economic systems and political interests could be complex.
- Environmental and Health Challenges: The ambitious goals related to environmental conservation and health security, such as coordinated responses to pandemics, require regional cooperation that may be difficult to achieve given varying national policies and capabilities.
Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific outlook is a cautious document that outlines it’s strategic intent and operational principles in one of the most dynamic regions of the world. While it sets a framework for engagement, the real test will lie in its implementation. Balancing regional aspirations with national capabilities, managing relations with both neighboring and major powers, and effectively contributing to regional stability and development will determine the success of Bangladesh’s strategic outlook in the Indo-Pacific. The country’s ability to navigate these waters will significantly impact its journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2041.
SOME LIMITATIONS
The Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh, while comprehensive and forward-looking, encounters several major limitations that could impede its effectiveness and implementation. Here are some of the primary limitations:
- Resource Constraints: One of the most significant limitations is the availability of resources. Bangladesh, being a developing country, has finite financial and human resources which may not be sufficient to pursue all the ambitious goals set out in the outlook. This scarcity could limit the country’s ability to fully engage in and benefit from the initiatives described.
- Geopolitical Vulnerabilities: Bangladesh is strategically located but also finds itself in a region marked by intense geopolitical competition, particularly between major powers like China, India, and the United States. Navigating these complex dynamics without getting drawn into conflicts or power struggles, and while maintaining its policy of “Friendship towards all, malice toward none,” poses a significant challenge.
- Lack of Strategic Clarity: The outlook covers a broad range of areas but sometimes lacks specificity in terms of strategic priorities and implementation plans. This broad scope without clear prioritization can lead to a diffusion of efforts and a lack of focus on key strategic areas that are critical for national security and development.
- Dependence on Multilateralism: The outlook strongly relies on multilateralism and international cooperation. While these are noble goals, the effectiveness of multilateral efforts can often be hampered by the diverse and sometimes conflicting interests of different nations. Bangladesh might find it challenging to assert its interests effectively within such frameworks, especially when confronted by more powerful nations with competing agendas.
- Technological and Capacity Gaps: The Indo-Pacific region is at the forefront of technological advancements and innovation. Bangladesh’s ability to keep up with this rapid pace of development, especially in terms of technology transfer, digital infrastructure, and cyber capabilities, is still developing. These gaps could hinder its ability to fully integrate and benefit from regional growth.
- Environmental and Climate Change Challenges: The region faces significant environmental threats, including climate change, which Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to, given its geographic location. The outlook’s strategies for addressing these issues may be limited by the country’s capacity to implement large-scale environmental protections and its dependence on international support and funding.
- Economic Integration Complexities: Promoting economic integration in such a diverse region is a considerable challenge. The varying levels of economic development, political systems, and regulatory environments can impede the creation of a cohesive economic bloc. This can limit trade, investment, and economic cooperation opportunities for Bangladesh.
- Security Concerns: The Indo-Pacific is not only an economic and diplomatic theater but also a security one, with ongoing maritime disputes, piracy, and territorial conflicts. Bangladesh’s military and strategic capabilities to engage effectively in ensuring regional security and protecting its interests may be limited.
These limitations underscore the need for Bangladesh to strategically prioritize its goals, leverage international partnerships effectively, and focus on building internal capacity to address and mitigate these challenges as it engages with the broader Indo-Pacific region.
MAJOR CRITICISM:
The Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh has drawn certain criticisms. Here are some of the major points of criticism:
Lack of Clear Strategic Priorities: One of the criticisms is that the outlook tries to cover an extensive range of issues without clearly prioritizing them. This broad scope might dilute Bangladesh’s ability to focus on areas that are crucial for its immediate strategic and economic interests.
- Resource Allocation: Implementing the diverse and extensive objectives outlined in the outlook could strain Bangladesh’s financial and administrative resources. Critics argue that without clear prioritization, the effective allocation of limited resources might be challenging, potentially leading to inefficiencies.
- Geopolitical Naivety: Critics argue that the outlook may be somewhat naïve in its approach to managing complex geopolitical realities. The Indo-Pacific region is a focal point of major power competition, primarily between the United States and China. The document’s emphasis on neutrality and multilateralism may not be sufficient to navigate these tensions effectively.
- Dependency on Multilateralism: While the outlook promotes a rules-based and inclusive multilateral approach, there is skepticism about the efficacy of this strategy in a region where unilateral actions by major powers often overshadow multilateral mechanisms. Critics suggest that Bangladesh might find it challenging to assert its interests effectively within these frameworks.
- Ambiguity in Implementation: The outlook provides a broad vision but lacks detailed implementation strategies for achieving its objectives. This vagueness can lead to discrepancies between policy intentions and practical outcomes, raising concerns about the feasibility of the outlined goals.
- Environmental and Climate Strategies: Although the outlook includes commitments to environmental conservation and tackling climate change, critics point out that the specific actions and commitments are not robust enough. Given the significant impact of climate change on Bangladesh, particularly its vulnerability to sea-level rise and natural disasters, a more aggressive and detailed strategy is expected.
- Security Concerns: The outlook’s approach to security in the Indo-Pacific is viewed by some as overly optimistic, particularly concerning maritime security and the freedom of navigation. The increasing militarization in parts of the Indo-Pacific, like the South China Sea, requires a more concrete and robust security posture than what the document suggests.
- Economic Integration Challenges: While the outlook advocates for enhanced economic integration, critics argue that actual progress on this front may be hindered by existing regional economic disparities and political conflicts, which could impede the creation of a seamless regional economic space.
Overall, while the Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh is a significant step towards defining the country’s regional engagement strategy, it faces challenges in terms of prioritization, resource management, geopolitical strategy, and implementation details, which need to be addressed to ensure the outlook’s effective realization.
CONCLUSION:
Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook represents a pivotal step in articulating the nation’s strategic vision and aspirations within a dynamically evolving geopolitical landscape. This vision is not only ambitious but also crucial for steering the country towards its goals of becoming a developed, knowledge-based economy by 2041. The framework laid out in the outlook underscores Bangladesh’s commitment to peace, security, and sustainable development, aligning with international norms and fostering cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.
The strengths of this outlook lie in its comprehensive approach, which integrates environmental sustainability, economic development, and regional security. It is laudably inclusive, emphasizing multilateralism, respect for international law, and the promotion of a culture of peace. Such attributes position Bangladesh as a proactive and responsible regional actor, poised to contribute positively to regional dynamics.
However, the outlook is not without its challenges. The broad scope, while indicative of thorough planning, also presents potential issues in prioritization and resource allocation. The geopolitical naivety criticism reflects a real concern about the practical challenges of maintaining neutrality and effective engagement amid regional tensions and rivalries. Furthermore, the heavy reliance on multilateral frameworks might limit Bangladesh’s flexibility in rapidly changing situations where unilateral actions often prevail.
The environmental and climate goals, though robust in intent, require significant enhancement in terms of actionable commitments and resource dedication, reflecting the urgent need for regional collaboration in these critical areas. Similarly, the aspirations for economic integration and technological advancement call for enhanced capacities, strategic partnerships, and innovative approaches to overcome the inherent disparities and hurdles within the region.In conclusion, while the Indo-Pacific Outlook sets a strong foundation for Bangladesh’s regional engagement, its successful implementation will hinge on the ability to strategically prioritize initiatives, effectively manage resources, and adapt to the complex interplay of regional and global dynamics. The vision articulated through this outlook necessitates a pragmatic approach to diplomacy and development, ensuring that Bangladesh not only adapts to but thrives in the emerging Indo-Pacific order. Looking forward, continuous evaluation, agile policy-making, and robust international cooperation will be indispensable for Bangladesh to realize its ambitions and secure its place as a significant player in the Indo-Pacific arena.
REFERENCES:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh. (n.d.). Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://mofa.gov.bd/site/press_release/d8d7189a-7695-4ff5-9e2b-903fe0070ec9
Alam, S. A. (2023). INDO PACIFIC STRATEGY: AN EXPLORATION. NBER BD.
Petermann, W. (2023). US and China Indo-Pacific Initiatives and Their Influence on Bangladesh: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study. NBER BD.
Royal United Services Institute. (n.d.). Indo-Pacific in Indian foreign policy. Retrieved April 30, 2024, from https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/policy-briefs/indo-pacific-indian-foreign-policy