There is also no mention of Bangladesh’s stand on the Quad. However, there is mention of cooperation in outer space. It is inconceivable why it is mentioned here that Bangladesh has no capability with respect to outer space except for communication satellites.
There is little scope for Bangladesh to face any new risks from publishing its Indo-Pacific Outlook. There is no mention of standing in favor or opposition of any country or faction. Also, it is not said that it will not cooperate with someone else just because it has published Indo-Pacific Outlook. It refers to very mundane policies and frameworks. Policies published by the western world or the US mention serious issues such as defense cooperation and blocks. Bangladesh makes no mention of such issues.
Overall, the recently released Indo-Pacific Outlook can be taken positively. This is especially because, apart from America’s allies, most other countries in the region have not released their Indo-Pacific policies. Bangladesh has now been included among the 22 countries that have released their Indo-Pacific strategy policy framework so far. We hope that in the future our understanding and understanding of it will be deeper and more comprehensive so as to benefit Bangladesh’s national interests in various fields.
* Major General ANM Muniruzzaman NDC, PSC (Retd), is the founder and chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (BIPSS). E-mail: [email protected]