Staff Correspondent, Dhaka – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for transforming the Bay of Bengal region into an area where every state can prosper together, benefit equally, and extend meaningful cooperation to its citizens.
The Prime Minister made the call while addressing the inauguration of a three-day international conference titled "Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026" in Dhaka on Saturday.
"Bangladesh is fully prepared to play its rightful role in this regard," he said.
The Center for Governance Studies organized the conference under the theme "Fragments, Frontiers and Futures: Navigating Power, Technology and Trust in a World Rewritten."
Some 200 speakers, more than 300 delegates, and over 1,000 participants from more than 100 countries are taking part in the conference, which is being held from October 3 to 5.
The Bay of Bengal forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, located between the Indian subcontinent and the Indochinese peninsula, south of the Bengal region.
Spread across an area of 2,600,000 square kilometers, the Bay is bordered by many of the countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar in the northeast, India on the west and northeast. Its southern limit is a line in Sri Lanka and the northwesternmost point of Sumatra in Indonesia.
In his inaugural speech, Tarique Rahman identified the Bay of Bengal as one of the major pillars of Bangladesh's future economic potential.
He said the Bay had been shaping Bangladesh's destiny for generations.
The country had opportunities to become more deeply connected with the world through seaports, waterways, and the coastal economy, he said, referring to Bangladesh's geographic and strategic location.
There is immense potential in shipping, fisheries, tourism, energy, and regional supply chains, he added.
The Prime Minister said deeper bilateral and multilateral engagement was needed to transform the region's shared geography into shared prosperity.
Cooperation can be further expanded in trade, energy, education, technology, climate, and maritime sectors, he said.
"New markets can be opened and more opportunities can be created for young people. We can build stronger cooperative relations based on equality, fairness, and justice," he said.
Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh would continue to work positively with all its regional and global partners while safeguarding national interests and sovereignty.
"Because peace and harmony are the foundations of shared prosperity and development," he said, adding that Bangladesh believes in dialogue, partnership, and mutual respect.
The thematic pillars of this year's Bay of Bengal Conversation are geopolitics, security and strategic competition; artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and information power; trade, connectivity, and strategic growth; and climate, resilience, and human security.
Former Serbian President Boris Tadic, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, and former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara, among others, are participating in the conference.
Former and incumbent state officials, diplomats, policymakers, researchers, business leaders, technologists, and experts from different countries are among the attendees.
