The Bangladesh Government announced its 15-point Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO) on 24 April 2023, in advance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming tri-nation visit to Japan, the USA, and the UK. The publication of Bangladesh’s IPO could be taken as a statement to the West that the Sheikh Hasina administration is neither anti-American nor pro-Chinese. It might also be interpreted as a ploy to win over the West ahead of the impending national election in the first quarter of 2024.
The Four Guiding Principles
As per media sources, the Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO) of Bangladesh is founded on a set of 15 objectives and four guiding principles. The initial guiding principle is derived from the foreign policy dictum of the esteemed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is regarded as the Father of the Nation: ‘Friendship towards all, malice toward none’. Nonetheless, the aforementioned principle has encountered opposition due to the conduct of the adjacent nation of Myanmar, which has failed to exhibit amicable behaviour towards Bangladesh. Myanmar has violated Bangladesh’s sovereignty by coercively relocating one million ethnic Rohingya individuals to the strategically and economically significant region of Cox’s Bazar. In the contemporary era, with the Indo-Pacific region experiencing significant militarization and the possibility of heightened security crises due to major power competition, the principle of “Friendship towards all, malice toward none” may potentially invite hostile forces to invade or interfere with Bangladesh, as there would be no consequences given Bangladesh’s stance of seeking only friendship and harbouring no malice.
According to IPO, the second guiding principle is a ‘Constitutional mandate on the conduct of international relations based on the principles of respect for national sovereignty and equality, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful settlement of international disputes, as well as respect for international law and the principles enunciated in the United Nations Charter; and striving for renunciation of the use of force in international relations and for general and complete disarmament.’
The government places significant emphasis on adhering to constitutional mandates in the second guiding principle. However, it is noteworthy that the Bangladeshi government frequently seeks recognition of its achievement through Western monitoring agencies. This approach has resulted in Western interference in domestic, regional, and international affairs. Hence, the prescribed guidelines for the execution of global affairs as per the constitution are derived from the Western set of values. The clashes between these value systems and Bangladesh’s social, cultural, political, and security fabric are recurring issues.
Specific examples of Japans efforts to realize FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative)
The third guiding principle is adherence to the relevant UN treaties and international conventions, as applicable, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Nevertheless, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has lost its efficacy in various locations, such as the South China Sea. It is imperative to modernize it to the demands of the 21st century. The complete adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has the potential to give rise to diplomatic disputes between China and Bangladesh related to the South China Sea and other places. Moreover, from the standpoint of Bangladesh, it may impose restrictions on the exploration and exploitation endeavours of the country’s future generations in the Bay of Bengal.
In the fourth guiding principle, it emphasises constructive regional and international cooperation for sustainable development, international peace and security, humanitarian action, and fundamental rights and freedoms. The principal exhibits a generic outlook amidst a context of increasing competition and coercion, which is a commonly observed phenomenon in the Indo-Pacific region. However, given how closely this principle relates to Bangladesh’s national interests in this region’s increasingly turbulent geopolitics, it should be viewed as the fundamental tenet of the Indo-Pacific Outlook.
15 Indo-Pacific Outlook Objectives
This discourse analyzes the 15 objectives outlined in the Indo-Pacific Outlook using a logical framework while considering the national interest of Bangladesh.
Objective 1.
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.
The stated objective lacks specificity as it does not delineate the parties involved in the intended strengthening of mutual trust and respect, forging of partnerships and cooperation, and promotion of dialogue. Does it lie in the western direction? What about China? Alternatively, a broad approach could be to address all nations. What is the rationale behind developing a prosperity and security perspective that encompasses the Pacific Ocean, given that Bangladesh has no vested interest in the region? What are the reasons for not adopting a more regional perspective, such as the Indian Ocean Outlook? The aforementioned objective lacks the aforementioned answers and may be considered a suboptimal approach in persuading Western nations of the current government’s alignment with the Indo-Pacific strategy.
Objective 2.
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.
This objective is predicated upon enhancing safety and security in the Indo-Pacific region and reaffirming commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a treaty that has been in effect for four decades. However, it is worth noting that several developed nations have not fully adhered to UNCLOS due to certain inherent limitations, such as the lack of adequate representation of regional consensus. Hence, it would be imprudent to assert that the maritime conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region ought to be exclusively resolved by means of UNCLOS. This objective ought to take into account the prevailing regional consensus pertaining to maritime safety and security.
Objective 3.
Maintain meaningful and value-driven contribution to international non-proliferation, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and counter-terrorism efforts, including with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
This statement asserts the government’s intention to participate in international peacekeeping efforts within the Indo-Pacific region. The signal being conveyed is not limited to the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions; rather, it also seeks to engage security and safety experts within crisis-stricken regions of the Indo-Pacific that are aligned with pro-Western governments. The provision of peacekeeping services results in the generation of revenue for the country. However, matters may become intricate when it pertains to harming Chinese geopolitical interests.
Objective 4.
Support regional and international efforts towards combating transnational organized crimes in the Indo-Pacific through both normative and practical actions.
This objective is limited to the Indo-Pacific region exclusively. Nevertheless, similar ideas persist in other geographical areas as well. Bangladesh is unable to bear the financial burden of transnational organised crimes in any part of the globe. Consequently, the aforementioned objective appears to hold limited significance in the context of the Indo-Pacific. The utilisation of this popular term in such a manner may potentially generate ambiguity regarding Bangladesh’s stance towards other regions of the globe.
Objective 5.
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.
This objective emphasizes the feminine perspective of the Indo-Pacific outlook. This objective of a romantic nature encompasses the ideals of harmony, peace, and social and political inclusivity while neglecting to address the practical considerations of non-interference, education and training, good governance, development, economics, technologies, geopolitics, geoeconomics, and other crucial factors.
Objective 6.
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.
Comprehending current and future situations in the Indo-Pacific region is a crucial objective for Bangladesh. However, this objective is deemed nearly unattainable due to Bangladesh’s limited role as a non-actor with minimal to no influence in the complex geopolitical dynamics of the region.
Objective 7.
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 behaviour in open and secure cyberspace and outer space.
Additionally, this objective is highly general and applies to other regions in addition to the Indo-Pacific. However, because of the negative effects of globalization, which are strongly tied to these activities, it is important to work for a safe, moderated cyber and outer space in order to maintain regional stability.
Objective 8.
Leverage the domestic agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors towards building resilient regional and global value chains to better manage future crises and disruptions and to promote the unimpeded and free flow of commerce in the Indo-Pacific.
The stated objective comprises two distinct components, namely, augmenting the output of domestic goods and enhancing the logistical infrastructure to facilitate the sale of said goods in the Indo-Pacific regions. The regions of Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East are comparatively more profitable locations for the purposes of trade and commerce when compared to the Indo-Pacific. Bangladesh procures raw materials from the Indo-Pacific region for the purpose of manufacturing goods that are subsequently marketed in Western countries. Thus, this objective inherently implicates the global community and diminishes its significance in the Indo-Pacific region.
Objective 9.
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.
The prioritization of sustainable utilization of the ocean is a shared concern among all nations with coastal regions. Nevertheless, nations such as Bangladesh face significant constraints in their capacity to tackle the preservation of marine biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Over the past few centuries, many developed nations have utilized the ocean in an unsustainable manner, resulting in significant economic advancements. Hence, the imposition of sustainable practices by Western nations that restrict the utilization of oceans may impede Bangladesh’s economic progress as it endeavours to discontinue conventional methods and culture of exploiting marine resources.
Objective 10.
Engage proactively in promoting food security, water solidarity, and disaster risk reduction in the Indo-Pacific, including through disseminating home-grown good practices.
This objective is not region-specific and applies universally beyond the Indo-Pacific region. The prudent approach for Bangladesh would be to adopt a Bay of Bengal perspective in order to proactively engage in matters pertaining to food security, water solidarity, and disaster risk reduction. This would be preferable to an Indo-Pacific outlook, as it would prioritize the involvement of countries situated along the Bay of Bengal littoral.
Objective 11.
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.
This statement pertains to Objective 9 and primarily focuses on soliciting aid from Western nations. Such objectives may potentially pave the way for heightened Western intervention and influence.
Objective 12.
Foster cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries to ensure energy security for all, including through investment and technology transfer on renewable energy.
The objective reflects Bangladesh’s dedication towards ensuring energy security and fostering collaboration with all global regions, including the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, this particular objective fails to contribute any additional benefits towards Bangladesh’s activities of augmenting trade and commerce, given the existence of various international platforms that Bangladesh is already a part of, aimed at promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Objective 13.
Work towards developing a coordinated response to future pandemics and ensuring health security, including through access for all to global public goods like vaccines, diagnostics and other treatments.
This objective is also not limited to the Indo-Pacific region only. In these cases of pandemics and global health security issues, Bangladesh will have to rely on developed countries irrespective of regional groupings.
Objective 14.
Collaboration with sub-regional partners and relevant organizations towards bolstering regional cooperation and enhancing mutually beneficial complementarities.
Pursuing a strategy that prioritizes economic development and security is deemed more efficacious than pursuing the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy, which seeks to constrain China’s influence in the region. It would be advantageous for Bangladesh to focus its strategic efforts on regional initiatives such as strengthening BIMSTEC, SAARC, and adopting the Bay of Bengal Strategy.
Objective 15.
Strengthen collaboration and cooperation in science, technology, research and innovation for shared benefits of all, in keeping with the vision of ‘Smart Bangladesh’.
Similar to some other objectives stated above, this particular objective is not limited exclusively to the Indo-Pacific region. In light of the imperative role of science, technology, research, and innovation in facilitating sustained progress, it is possible that Bangladesh may have to rely on developed countries, irrespective of any regional affiliations or hostilities.
Conclusion
The recent declaration of Bangladesh’s 15-point Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO) ahead of the Prime Minister’s scheduled trips to Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom represents a noteworthy development in the nation’s foreign policy. The primary objective of the IPO is to enhance confidence, esteem, alliances, and collaboration in the Indo-Pacific area while maintaining the fundamental principles of national autonomy, impartiality, and amicable resolution of global conflicts. Notwithstanding, certain guiding principles, such as the maxim “Friendship towards all, malice toward none,” could conceivably attract antagonistic entities to impinge upon the sovereignty of Bangladesh. The potential exploration and exploitation activities in the Bay of Bengal by future generations of the country may face limitations due to the adherence to UNCLOS, a treaty that has been operational for a period of forty years. In essence, the IPO’s fundamental principle is the fourth guiding principle of constructive regional and international cooperation for sustainable development, international peace and security, humanitarian action, and fundamental rights and freedoms. Notwithstanding, certain objectives of the IPO, particularly the primary one, exhibit an absence of specificity and fail to furnish lucid direction on the intended recipients of Bangladesh’s efforts to enhance mutual trust and respect, establish partnerships and cooperation, and encourage dialogue.
Written by Rajeev Ahmed
Illustration: Several online sources