US, India, China have individual interests in the Bay of Bengal: Touhid

Apart from Bangladesh, there are three important players – the United States, India, and China – who have individual interests in the Bay of Bengal, said Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today (16 November).

There is an issue of dominance while the Bay of Bengal is extremely important for Bangladesh for its resources and the access it offers to the rest of the world apart from other issues including the Rohingya crisis, he said, reports UNB.

Explaining briefly why India and China are not coming forward in an expected way to help resolve the Rohingya crisis, Touhid said there is a potential threat not just for Bangladesh, but the region and beyond.

"There is no light at the end of the tunnel and I don't think it [Rohingya issue] is going to be resolved very quickly and easily," he said, adding that each country has its own interest and Bangladesh has become a victim of circumstances.

The adviser made the observations while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Bay of Bengal Conversation at a hotel in Dhaka. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus delivered the inaugural speech at the event.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.

Talking about India and China's role, Touhid said he is not blaming anyone as everyone looks after their interest. But that does not seem to tag with Bangladesh's interest in the Rohingya issue, for which the issue has been lingering, he added.

Unless this issue is resolved, it is going to become an issue for the rest of the world, he said, adding Bangladesh has not received the expected level of support from its major neighbouring countries when it came to resolving the Rohingya crisis.

"During the last eight years, the amount of or the level of support that we expected from our neighbours, big neighbours, has not been forthcoming," said the adviser.

He said the question comes -- why China has not been forthcoming in resolving the issue on the side of Bangladesh? "Because Myanmar remains very important for China's access to the Bay of Bengal."

Similarly, the adviser said India thinks that the Kaladan project is important, and for this project, it has to keep good relations with Myanmar.

He said Bangladesh has been caught in the crosshairs of competing geopolitical interests.

Regarding growing concerns over the future of the Rohingya youth, Touhid said the young generations who have no hopes for the future are not likely to sit idle and watch what others do. 

"There will be a point in time when they will become a serious problem not only for Bangladesh but also for our neighbours and people from far away," he said.

The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) is hosting the 3rd edition of the Bay of Bengal Conversation (BOBC) 2024, an international geopolitical conference.

CGS Chair Munira Khan and Executive Director Zillur Rahman also spoke at the event.

Zillur said the third edition of the Bay of Bengal Conference is the biggest event to date hosted by CGS.

This year's conference, "A Fractured World," has brought together over 200 speakers, 300 delegates, and an audience of 800 participants hailing from more than 80 countries around the world, he said.