Pathik hasan

Colombo Security Conclave is a greater regional initiative taken by Indi a, Sri Lanka and Maldives simultaneously to tackle the maritime threat in Indian ocean. Then Sri Lankan defence secretary (Now President) Gotabaya Rajapaksa took this significatory initiative. The head quarter is established in 2020 in Sri Lankan capital city Colombo. Maritime threats matter really in this today’s modern world. Now Indian ocean is a piece of interest amongst world players. The powers eye shifts towards India ocean.

Analyst says, Maritime security and countering terrorism and other crimes in the Indian Ocean has emerged as a focus area for India as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy and the doctrine of Security and Growth for All in the Region (Sagar).

However, it is known to all Indian ocean gets it strategic significance for various region. It was a great maritime route for both Asian, European and African stated for many years. The Indian ocean has been considered as a hub of maritime connectivity project. China’s string of Pearl project, India’s International North South Transport Project has been gone though this ocean. It is pertinent. Even the US government has transformed its strategy from Asia Pacific to Indo Pacific to include Indian ocean. Japan and India proposed cotton route is also a big issue in the consideration.

But there are some problems also. Trans national crime such as illegal narcotics, weapons and human trafficking issues, piracy, armed robbery, drug smuggling, illegal fishing, terrorism, environmental degradation issue is some concern issue. The Indian ocean has been used as a safe passage by some evil players. States on the Indian ocean face these serious challenges every day.

Illegal drug trafficking from India and Afghanistan, Iran through Indian Ocean route is known to all. According to some sources, the UNODC has estimated that 54% of the heroin in India is produced domestically, while 45% originates from Afghanistan. India is particularly vulnerable to the southern route due to its western border with Pakistan. Near this border, in the western Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, is where many of the heroin seizures occur. In 2012, 105kg of drugs were seized, which had been trafficked from Pakistan along rail routes. In 2013 alone, the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau reported seizures totalling 4,609kg Data collected through seizures by various authorities has confirmed India as a transit country for Southeast Asia, West Africa and North America.

Bangladesh also faces significant problems due to drug trade through the Indian Ocean and India. The country suffers from illicit drug use among its population, such as in Dhaka where there are an estimated 2.5 million people using drugs. India is a large provider of heroin to the Bangladeshi market, and it is trafficked over the western and eastern borders. However, it is unclear whether the heroin originates from Afghanistan or India, as this data has not been sufficiently collected. Both India and Bangladesh are becoming ever more dependent on maritime trade, with these states importing over US$ 52 million and US$ 447 million respectively. Therefore, to function effectively they require an absence of maritime crime in order for trade to be uninterrupted, and for their economies to thrive.

Bangladesh faces Piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking in the Bay of Bengal. Although Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard are very active in the region, but the perpetrators are very clever and cunning. Rohingya crisis accelerated to worsen the situation. Various gangs are involved in these human trafficking process. It matters increasingly. Bangladeshi people are trafficked to Malaysia, Thailand, North Africa to Greece and Italy (Europe) through the marine route via Mediterranean Sea.

Many fishermen from Myanmar, India is involved in Illegal fishing in the Jurisdictional area under Bangladesh. So Bangladesh faces economic loss to extract marine resources. Some armed groups kidnap Bangladeshi Fisherman for ransom. Basically, Fishing in the Sundarbans region becomes very dangerous.

Sri Lanka has also faced an increase in heroin use within the country, as well as becoming a transit country for trafficking destined for other places. Much of the heroin entering Sri Lanka arrives on fishing boats or by air, often coming through India or Pakistan. The numbers of seizures which Sri Lankan authorities have conducted remains relatively small, meaning that the data collected is not always reliable. Smugglers in Sri Lanka have come from a variety of countries, including Pakistan, India, Iran and the Maldives.

Environmental degradation in the sea is common now. Climate change, sea level rising are some issue. Trans transnational terrorist threat is seen as a serious threat.

Bangladesh is a rising South Asian Miracle. The country is developing under the leadership of its premier Sheikh Hasina. She focuses on Blue economy. Bangladesh  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the third ministerial conference titled Promoting Sustainable Blue Economy — making the best use of opportunities from the Indian Ocean” of IORA at the InterContinental Dhaka in 2019.

Not only Bangladesh, Countries like India, Sri Lakka, Maldives including all states across Indian ocean face the same problem. IN the disaster period,  regional cooperation is much needed. In Past, regional countries helped each other through various operation during the disaster moment.

Now Bangladesh got a regional platform to address these problems. To ensure better maritime time security, all regional countries should work collaborately to tackle the problems.

Colombo Security Conclave is a platform. Bangladesh expect cooperation from other stake holders and would like to help others to face the challenge.

Bangladesh with Mauritius and Seychelles are going to become full member of regional maritime security bloc. Media reports, currently serving as the group’s observers, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Seychelles joined the first meeting of national security advisers (NSA) of the CSC, hosted virtually by Sri Lanka on August 4. 

So, there are some opportunities for Bangladesh also other partners to focus on countering terrorism and extremism, trans-national crimes such as narcotics, weapons and human trafficking, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and protecting the maritime environment.