BANGLADESH has been falling behind in harnessing benefits from its sea resources as some foreign countries and companies have grabbed the opportunity from the sea-based economic potentials. As per media reports, the Bay of Bengal can emerge as a highly prospective source of the blue economy depending on whether Bangladesh can take full advantage of its seaborne resources like gas, fish and shipping.
The blue economy encompasses all economic activities associated with the oceans, harbours, ports and coastal zones and other blue water based activities. It is related to seaborne trade and commerce, ocean science and such other economic and defence pertinent things. Bangladesh has vast sea boundaries with 12 nautical miles of territorial sea, 200 nautical miles of an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf going beyond 200 nautical miles. Moreover it has over 700km of coastal frontiers.
The reports have rightly raised the issue of capacity building to explore the sea resources which are partly lying idle and vulnerable to regional exploiters who are engaging in piracy in Bangladesh’s territorial waters. It is to everyone’s knowledge that Bangladesh has already offered gas blocks in the sea to international oil companies (IOCs) while we are drilling gas from at least one gas field. The government is trying to put more gas blocks to foreign firms for exploitation. Moreover, marine-fisheries are yet another area which may enhance the stock of catch for domestic market as well as export. The sea can be a good alternative source of our foodstuff.
What the country needs is state of the art equipment and modern sea boats to compete with the maritime explorers of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. We need to train our manpower to guard the resources and take the harvest to the shore. The rising sea level and salinity are two big challenges to the coastal population and we have to enhance our capacity to handle the sea. It is time for Bangladesh to make the best use sea resources and equip its manpower with knowledge and technology to bring prosperity to the nation.
