AFTER four years of formation, the Blue Economy Cell (BEC) under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) has hardly been able to make any breakthrough in exploring and exploiting maritime potentials. The BEC is neither equipped with required manpower, nor it is given any financial support to do any vital work. The government should focus on exploiting the untapped marine potential to elevate poverty by creating employment, providing livelihood support and boosting the tourism..
The BEC was the first initiative after Bangladesh successfully resolved maritime disputes with both India and Myanmar. The government approved 25 posts for a temporary administrative set-up with an Additional Secretary as its head. So far, only 13 posts have been filled with people from different ministries on deputation. No fund has been allocated through the national budget to take up any project. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry has recommended turning the BEC into an authority giving it more administrative powers, a suggestion reportedly turned down by the ministry and the PMO.
There are huge potentials in Bangladesh’s maritime areas and the government has identified 26 sectors related to the blue economy, most of which remain untapped for lack of proper initiatives. Bangladesh won 19,467 square kilometres of the 25,602 sq km area along the Indian border in the Bay of Bengal, following the settlement of the maritime dispute with the neighbouring country on July 8, 2014. Earlier, Bangladesh won a claim to 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone and territorial rights in the Bay of Bengal following the settlement of another dispute with Myanmar on December 18, 2013.
The government has prepared a 100-year Delta Plan to exploit the potentials of the blue economy where BEC can play a vital role in its implementation. To attain sustainable development goals, and explore the marine resources, the government should focus on this sector more return. However, transparency, accountability and sustainability should be maintained in exploring marine resources.
