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What should be Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific strategy?
As Bangladesh grows in stature as an economy, so do the stakes with regard to its decisions pertaining to geopolitics
Map of the Indo-Pacific region
Shafik A Rahman
Published: March 21, 2023 4:49 AM | Last Updated: March 21, 2023 4:48 AM
UK's Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan recently visited Bangladesh for the first time to strengthen partnership between the two countries. Last month, Bangladesh finalized its 14-page “Indo-Pacific Outlook” stating a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific vision.
Also, the US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino is likely to visit Bangladesh in the coming weeks. The increased number of visits by high UK and US officials' and diplomats in the last few months projects the geostrategic importance of Bangladesh in the Indo-pacific region.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy, shortened to IPS, is technically a geographical concept that includes both the two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The term was first coined by the Indian Navy almost 10 years ago; however, the strategy got momentum during the APEC meeting in 2017 when US President Donald Trump announced a new approach to Asia namely Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
The FOIP slogan had already been used by Japan to denote its own strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific when Australia used the term “Indo-Pacific” in their 2016 Defense White Paper. This geostrategic reasoning made the term “Indo-Pacific” a widely accepted regional concept at least for the time being.
The Indian Ocean has emerged as a vital arena of geostrategic calculations for both the US and China. Bangladesh is an important member of the BIMSTEC region which demands a substantial understanding of the prospects and challenges of IPS. The increasing importance of this region is putting a tremendous impetus on US foreign policy.
The emerging economic as well as diplomatic rise of China is creating a “security dilemma” for India as well as for the US too. Especially, the constant power display of China in the South China Sea is making India more worrisome -- and so it is leaning them towards the US to counterbalance China through alliance building.
Both economically and strategically, the prospects of the Indo-Pacific region are increasing and drawing the attention of the world powers. The region constitutes 60% of the world's population producing 60% of global GDP, and provides an opportunity for Bangladesh to bridge the country with this economic hub.
Stephen Biegun, Deputy Secretary of State, has already proposed Bangladesh to buy arms under IPS. Bangladesh replied with its desire to get infrastructural investments. Even while Bangladesh is attempting to diversify its arms acquisitions as part of its Forces Goals 2030, China remains the country's top exporter of arms, thus any contact with the IPS would undoubtedly make China uncomfortable.
To some analysts, the Indo-Pacific Strategy makes it difficult for Bangladesh to maintain the balance of power with the world powers. Bangladesh faces the dilemma that it cannot put less importance in its relationship with the US, at the same time, joining the IPS might put its
relationship with China at stake.
However, Bangladesh shows a clear message of focusing largely on increasing the life standards of its people. The IPS is, literally, a military security capability building alliance in the Bay of Bengal. The “Indo-Pacific Outlook” of Bangladesh is clearly focusing on infrastructure and economic development -- not security.
Bangladesh has been transcending towards a developing country from a Least Developed Country (LDC) status through building its economic developmental strategies. The country is an economic success and all its development partners are very eager to take part in the development trajectory.
The historic foreign policy strategy, formulated by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which is “friendship for all and malice to none,” continues to serve as the philosophical foundation of Bangladesh's peaceful foreign policy.
The country's constitution further states in article 25 (1) that the state should pursue economic empowerment for all peoples and conduct its international relations on the basis of the principles of the peaceful resolution of international issues. Bangladesh wants peaceful coexistence and accelerating economic development; so, the state neither implements the BRI full-fledged nor the IPS.
From the above discussion, it appears that Bangladesh is so far following the “avoiding” strategy to find a win-win outcome. To come to the best possible outcome from the proposals under the Indo-Pacific scheme, it is recommended that it should follow the “collaborative” strategy and analyze the cost-benefit and comparative-competitive advantage analysis of IPS.
Dr Shafik A Rahman is a postdoctoral fellow in International Relations of Southeast Asia at the National University of Singapore. He received a PhD in Politics and International relations from Queen Mary University of London, UK.
www.dhakatribune.com
As Bangladesh grows in stature as an economy, so do the stakes with regard to its decisions pertaining to geopolitics
Map of the Indo-Pacific region
Shafik A Rahman
Published: March 21, 2023 4:49 AM | Last Updated: March 21, 2023 4:48 AM
UK's Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan recently visited Bangladesh for the first time to strengthen partnership between the two countries. Last month, Bangladesh finalized its 14-page “Indo-Pacific Outlook” stating a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific vision.
Also, the US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino is likely to visit Bangladesh in the coming weeks. The increased number of visits by high UK and US officials' and diplomats in the last few months projects the geostrategic importance of Bangladesh in the Indo-pacific region.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy, shortened to IPS, is technically a geographical concept that includes both the two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The term was first coined by the Indian Navy almost 10 years ago; however, the strategy got momentum during the APEC meeting in 2017 when US President Donald Trump announced a new approach to Asia namely Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
The FOIP slogan had already been used by Japan to denote its own strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific when Australia used the term “Indo-Pacific” in their 2016 Defense White Paper. This geostrategic reasoning made the term “Indo-Pacific” a widely accepted regional concept at least for the time being.
The Indian Ocean has emerged as a vital arena of geostrategic calculations for both the US and China. Bangladesh is an important member of the BIMSTEC region which demands a substantial understanding of the prospects and challenges of IPS. The increasing importance of this region is putting a tremendous impetus on US foreign policy.
The emerging economic as well as diplomatic rise of China is creating a “security dilemma” for India as well as for the US too. Especially, the constant power display of China in the South China Sea is making India more worrisome -- and so it is leaning them towards the US to counterbalance China through alliance building.
Both economically and strategically, the prospects of the Indo-Pacific region are increasing and drawing the attention of the world powers. The region constitutes 60% of the world's population producing 60% of global GDP, and provides an opportunity for Bangladesh to bridge the country with this economic hub.
Stephen Biegun, Deputy Secretary of State, has already proposed Bangladesh to buy arms under IPS. Bangladesh replied with its desire to get infrastructural investments. Even while Bangladesh is attempting to diversify its arms acquisitions as part of its Forces Goals 2030, China remains the country's top exporter of arms, thus any contact with the IPS would undoubtedly make China uncomfortable.
To some analysts, the Indo-Pacific Strategy makes it difficult for Bangladesh to maintain the balance of power with the world powers. Bangladesh faces the dilemma that it cannot put less importance in its relationship with the US, at the same time, joining the IPS might put its
relationship with China at stake.
However, Bangladesh shows a clear message of focusing largely on increasing the life standards of its people. The IPS is, literally, a military security capability building alliance in the Bay of Bengal. The “Indo-Pacific Outlook” of Bangladesh is clearly focusing on infrastructure and economic development -- not security.
Bangladesh has been transcending towards a developing country from a Least Developed Country (LDC) status through building its economic developmental strategies. The country is an economic success and all its development partners are very eager to take part in the development trajectory.
The historic foreign policy strategy, formulated by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which is “friendship for all and malice to none,” continues to serve as the philosophical foundation of Bangladesh's peaceful foreign policy.
The country's constitution further states in article 25 (1) that the state should pursue economic empowerment for all peoples and conduct its international relations on the basis of the principles of the peaceful resolution of international issues. Bangladesh wants peaceful coexistence and accelerating economic development; so, the state neither implements the BRI full-fledged nor the IPS.
From the above discussion, it appears that Bangladesh is so far following the “avoiding” strategy to find a win-win outcome. To come to the best possible outcome from the proposals under the Indo-Pacific scheme, it is recommended that it should follow the “collaborative” strategy and analyze the cost-benefit and comparative-competitive advantage analysis of IPS.
Dr Shafik A Rahman is a postdoctoral fellow in International Relations of Southeast Asia at the National University of Singapore. He received a PhD in Politics and International relations from Queen Mary University of London, UK.
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