Shawdesh desk:

India wants Bangladesh to play a strong role in peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Stability in the Indo-Pacific region is closely associated with success story,  prosperity and dynamism in Bangladesh.

India’s former state minister for external affairs MJ Akbar and former deputy national security advisor Pankaj Saran expressed their country’s views at a seminar titled Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Dhaka on Sunday.

Pankaj Saran addressed inauguration of the seminar in presence of state minister for foreign affairs of Bangladesh Md Shahriar Alam in the morning while MJ Akbar delivered speech in the closing session in the presence of Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in the afternoon.

Apart from Indo-Pacific issue, various events in Bangladesh came up in their speech.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s interest in blue or ocean economy, India’s former foreign minister and journalist MJ Akbar said instability is worse than war.

“There will be nothing without stability. We have to move forward in this context,” he said.

MJ Akbar said, “We have to remember that the Indo-Pacific is not only blessed with the Himalayas but also ocean. Here, uniform prosperity based on self-respect and self-reliance is very important.”

He said Bangladesh has achieved two freedoms–independence of the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu and on the other hand, the economic independence of the people of Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina.

MJ Akbar said superpowers like the United States have always wanted to keep Bangladesh loyal or obedient to them. It was an initiative of US President Nixon. Now, the US has been concerned about Bangladesh since the initiative is not implemented yet.

Akbar said, “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a neutral position during the world of two poles (United States and Russia) in the seventies. ‘Mujib’s doctrine was ‘friendship to all, enmity to none’. Through this, he explained to the United States that the old game will not work in this country. He said that Bangladesh has shown individuality in the strategic field immediately after its establishment. Now, some other countries including Saudi Arabia are trying to do so. There is a growing trend of strategic individualism in the world.”

The former Indian minister of state for external affairs said after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States thought that Russia had become a ‘disturbed power’. Later, the US was also seen distracted in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US, Russia—both superpowers are now upset, tired. They should rethink now.

MJ Akbar said in the new map, the Chinese claimed not only India but also the territory of Russia. In this regard, the spokesperson of China said this is the map of sovereign China. He said those who give the example of India-China war of 1962, can look at Russia-China war of 1969.

He said Ukraine war is changing Central Asia.

The former state minister said the balance of power has happened a lot.

Pankaj Sharan highlighted the importance of Bangladesh in the Global South at the opening ceremony. In the context of Pankaj Sharan’s speech, MJ Akbar said in the closing session that the concept of Global South is now outdated. Bangladesh and India together can build a new relationship—New North.

Bangladesh’s role in this region is very important.