A new horizon in Bay of Bengal economy and security

Few maritime zones in the world carry as much promise and peril as Bangladesh's stretch of the Bay of Bengal. The bay is rapidly emerging as one of the most contested and consequential maritime spaces: it is where the shipping lanes of South and Southeast Asia converge, where energy routes and data cables intersect, and where the geopolitical ambitions of major powers collide. For Bangladesh, the bay is not a distant theatre it is the nation's immediate maritime frontier. Its economy, national security, and climate resilience are deeply tied to the choices it makes in these waters.

The 2012 and 2014 maritime boundary settlements with Myanmar and India secured for Bangladesh more than 118,000 square kilometres of sovereign waters. Yet sovereignty alone is not enough. The challenge now is to translate legal rights into tangible economic benefits. To achieve this, Bangladesh must foster maritime economic clusters-integrated coastal zones where shipping, marine processing, and logistics industries can work in synergy. Expanding into offshore renewable energy, such as wind and tidal power, would help diversify the energy mix and reduce dependence on imports. A national marine resources intelligence platform is also essential, unifying research, monitoring, and licensing in order to ensure transparency and prevent illegal exploitation.

Nearly 90 percent of Bangladesh's trade moves by sea, making ports strategic assets of national importance. Chattogram, Mongla, Payra, and the upcoming Matarbari deep-sea port are not merely logistical hubs; they are symbols of state capacity and levers of influence. Developing dual-use port infrastructure that supports both commercial activity and emergency security needs is crucial. Seamless trade corridors linking ports with inland waterways and transnational rail networks could significantly reduce transit times. Governance safeguards must be strictly enforced so that, even with foreign investment or expertise, strategic control remains firmly in Bangladeshi hands.

The Bay of Bengal's security environment is evolving into a complex, multipolar contest. Bangladesh therefore requires a layered maritime defence to protect its interests. Long-endurance patrol vessels must be deployed to monitor fishing activity, cargo movement, and environmental compliance. An integrated intelligence system linking coastal radar, drones, satellites, and open-source data can provide real-time maritime domain awareness. Equally important is a rapid-response capability to tackle smuggling, maritime crime, and disaster relief within hours.

The Bay of Bengal's security environment is evolving into a complex, multipolar contest. Bangladesh therefore requires a layered maritime defence to protect its interests. 

Security at sea is as much about diplomacy as it is about patrols. Bangladesh should spearhead Bay of Bengal Sustainability Dialogues, bringing together both littoral and extra-regional stakeholders. Through joint maritime innovation funds within BIMSTEC, collaboration can be fostered on shipping efficiency, aquaculture technology, and marine conservation. A digital maritime trade corridor linking customs, vessel tracking, and cargo manifests across partner states would build transparency and trust, without binding Bangladesh into rigid security blocs. Such diplomacy strengthens capacity while preserving strategic autonomy.

Beneath the bay lies an invisible but vital infrastructure: submarine fibre-optic cables. These are as crucial to Bangladesh's digital economy as shipping lanes are to its trade. Establishing multiple redundant landing stations would provide resilience against outages, while dedicated seabed patrols could protect vulnerable cable routes. Introducing regulated transit fees for international cables passing through Bangladeshi waters would generate new revenue streams. Integrating cable security into national maritime surveillance ensures that digital stability keeps pace with physical security.

The writer is a geopolitical analyst and columnist specialising in South Asian affairs