Bay of Bengal and regional geopolitics: Bangladesh facing reality

It is now quite clear that if the crisis in the Middle East stabilizes somewhat, the global gaze will gradually turn to the Bay of Bengal region. The tension surrounding the Malacca Strait has largely subsided. In the meantime, the second phase of the “Brave Burma Act” has begun in the new framework and it is believed that the ruling class of Myanmar is also moving towards compromise.

What position Bangladesh will take in this context will be clear in the coming time. However, geographically, our position as an important ‘choking point’ in the Bay of Bengal is very strategic.

On the other hand, how the modern international airport built with the help of China in Gwadar, Pakistan will be used in the future has also become an important question.

Despite the very favorable geostrategic location of Bangladesh, we seem to be outside the global equation. Here, emotions and hype often take precedence over real analysis. If we cannot use this position properly, we may have to suffer the consequences in the near future. However, there was a possibility of becoming the most favored state in the region.

We have little interest or analysis in the “Burma Act”—our tendency to try to understand it is also limited.

History teaches us—in July 1971, Pakistan secretly played a key role in establishing relations between China and the United States, which changed the balance of global power. Even today, our idea of ​​what China is doing in the region or what it will do in the future is very outdated. In reality, China’s role behind the scenes in the changes in the Middle East and the Bay of Bengal region is much deeper, which does not match the conventional understanding.

Unfortunately, in our society, emotional excitement is more popular than fact-based analysis. While it may get temporary applause, time will tell how much it is worth in the long run.