Dhaka Bureau Policy Times : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Momen said, “Maximum utilization of blue economy is the key in our strides to overcome the adverse effects of pandemic,” while speaking as the chief guest at an international webinar titled “Blue economy in post covid-19 era: resilience strategies for the coastal states”, organised by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (BSMRMU) on 10 December (Thursday)
Bangladesh Foreign Minister said Bangladesh should aim at developing an inclusive and people-centric Blue Economy enhancing capacity-building with innovative financing, ensuring the transfer of critical technology and strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships and collaboration with other maritime nations. In the context of Bay of Bengal, he said, “We need to develop a cooperative mechanism among the littoral states to promote collaboration for reaping maximum benefits of blue economy”.
Noting that Bangladesh considers Blue Economy as one of the cornerstones for its economic growth and socio-economic development, Hon’ble Foreign Minister said maritime capacity building should be planned in regard to governance and institutional framework, academic and research institutions, managerial-technical-technological capabilities and qualified skills.
FM Dr. Momen said, these multiple challenges and other geo-economic and geo-strategic factors require an integrated response and an urgent transition of the world economy towards a sustainable, inclusive and resource efficient path through adopting the concept of blue economy. “We should also design the ocean governance policies for effective utilization of maritime realm and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources reducing the risk of irreversible damage to the marine ecosystems,” he said.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister hoped that Bangladesh and the United States will soon enter into some tangible maritime cooperation framework under the ‘Vision for Advancing U.S.-Bangladesh Economic Partnership’. He said Dhaka believes that the regional vision for the blue economy must be supported by a balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental elements of development.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had enacted the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act 1974, much before the UN’ ITLOS in 1982, which laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s maritime rights and responsibilities. He said, later, due to her prudent and dynamic leadership, able daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has amicably resolved the delimitation of the maritime boundary with its neighbours India and Myanmar and attained undisputed sovereignty over a huge maritime area of 118, 813 sq km in the Bay of Bengal.
