Maritime Cooperation: A New Dimension in the Bangladesh-Japan Strategic Partnership

In international relations, the concept of “Strategic Partnership” has emerged as a pivotal element for fostering bilateral or multilateral ties, first introduced in the 1990s. This term signifies a special relationship developed over time between two or more states through mutual practice. Typically, a strategic partnership encompasses cooperation across various domains, including diplomatic, economic, military, socio-cultural, and more. The focus lies on promoting shared norms and values, upholding the rule of law, and mitigating threats to global peace and security.

In military contexts, security and defense cooperation play a crucial role in transforming bilateral or multilateral relationships into strategic partnerships. In the maritime sphere, this cooperation enhances naval capabilities to counter existing and potential threats, ensures safe passage for trade, and optimizes the use of maritime resources, both living and non-living. As an integral aspect of security and defense collaboration within a strategic partnership, maritime cooperation aims to improve maritime domain awareness (MDA) and bolster naval capabilities through joint exercises, surveillance, and information sharing. It emphasizes sustainable marine economies through expertise sharing and enhanced port facilities, secures trade routes and choke points, and builds capacity to address transnational challenges such as ecosystem degradation, organized crime, piracy, and trafficking. Moreover, maritime cooperation is essential for safeguarding national interests amid geopolitical rivalries among major powers. Therefore, the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership, particularly its recent emphasis on security and defense, should underscore the importance of maritime collaboration.

The Bangladesh-Japan bilateral relationship was established with Japan’s diplomatic recognition following Bangladesh's liberation war in 1972. The guiding principles of this relationship have been mutual gains and regional stability. Bangladesh considers Japan a true friend in its developmental journey. In 2022, both nations celebrated fifty years of diplomatic relations and pledged to elevate their partnership further.

Japan, a significant soft power, engages with partners like Bangladesh to maximize cooperative prospects. Bangladesh’s economic partnership with Japan gained momentum after the introduction of the “Comprehensive Partnership” program in 2014. In 2023, during the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s visit to Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida referred to their relationship as strategic, highlighting the potential to strengthen this partnership alongside economic collaboration.

The 2023 Joint Statement on the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership outlines the future trajectory of their relations, focusing on three main areas: cooperation for peace and regional stability, economic cooperation for mutual prosperity, and cultural exchange through people-to-people connections. Notably, prior to the former Prime Minister’s visit, Bangladesh unveiled its Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO), which received positive feedback from Japan. The IPO shares an inclusive vision akin to Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), a concept introduced by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2016. For Japan, FOIP is a vital initiative aimed at securing safe navigation for essential energy supplies and commercial vessels in the Indo-Pacific.

Within the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership, maritime cooperation seeks to establish a comprehensive maritime vision for the Indo-Pacific, especially in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Bangladesh’s IPO emphasizes the necessity of a secure maritime order founded on shared values essential for stability and progress, prerequisites for maritime prosperity and the potential of a “Blue Economy.”

The rapid militarization by China and its Belt and Road Initiative's “String of Pearls” pose challenges to the geopolitical ambitions of major powers in the Indo-Pacific. To counterbalance China’s influence, various security and defense initiatives and alliances, such as the QUAD, the Indo-Pacific Strategy, and AUKUS, have emerged. Consequently, geopolitical competition has intensified between India and China in the Indian Ocean and between China and U.S. allies in the Pacific. This competition complicates the geopolitical landscape for smaller nations like Bangladesh, which face the dilemma of choosing sides, especially since China has been a significant development and strategic partner. For instance, Bangladesh has established a strong development partnership with China, expanding bilateral relations to a strategic level. Therefore, Bangladesh must carefully evaluate the objectives and nature of these regional initiatives and alliances while formulating its security and defense cooperation strategies. The future of Bangladesh-Japan maritime cooperation will depend on Japan’s commitment to an inclusive, legal, and value-oriented FOIP, rather than merely engaging in security alliances.

Bangladesh-Japan maritime cooperation can significantly enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the Bay of Bengal. Japan views the BoB as a crucial sea route linking the West to East Asia, vital for global trade and economy, facilitating Japan’s connections with Western Asia and Europe while ensuring safe passage for trade and energy supplies. Japan regards India as a major partner in safeguarding its geo-economic interests in the region and sees Bangladesh as a potential maritime security provider in the BoB. As a result, the scope for maritime cooperation within the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership is expanding.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers various programs, including the “Official Security Association (OSA),” to its partners, focusing on modernizing armed forces and relevant organizations in like-minded nations. Within this security and defense cooperation framework, Japan has allocated funding to enhance the Bangladesh Navy's monitoring, surveillance, and disaster relief capabilities. On November 15, 2023, as part of its OSA framework, the Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Mr. Iwama Kiminori, signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division for 575 million yen in aid for four patrol ships. Japan regards Bangladesh as its second strategic partner after the Philippines for defense assistance under the OSA program.

Through these OSA initiatives, Japan aims to strengthen the Bangladesh Navy's maritime monitoring, surveillance, and disaster relief capabilities in the BoB. Recent visits by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) to Chittagong in 2012, 2019, and 2022, culminating in a visit in 2023, underscore Japan’s commitment to enhancing security and defense cooperation within this strategic partnership. These visits are crucial for improving maritime security in the BoB. The 2023 visit concluded with a memorandum of cooperation and exchange programs, aimed at extending the partnership to establish maritime security and promote regional stability.

Regional stability is essential for all stakeholders to ensure safe navigation in the BoB. For instance, instability in Myanmar negatively affects the regional security landscape and has spillover effects, especially in the maritime security domain of the BoB. Moreover, the unresolved Rohingya repatriation issue has created a hub for transnational security threats, potentially exacerbating organized crime, terrorism, trafficking, piracy, and other security concerns, which may threaten safe navigation in the BoB. Addressing these challenges can be a critical role for Bangladesh-Japan maritime cooperation. Additionally, various regional initiatives focusing on the BoB, such as BIG-B, BIMSTEC, and IPEF, in which both Bangladesh and Japan are interested, are likely to be affected by the ongoing security crises in the region.

The future prospects for maritime cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan are bright. Joint naval exercises, collaborative maritime surveillance, and capacity-building initiatives for the Bangladesh Navy using advanced maritime technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), can enhance the Bangladesh Navy's effectiveness in countering existing security threats, particularly transnational ones in the Bay of Bengal and beyond.

From a realpolitik perspective, however, Bangladesh must carefully navigate the evolving dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the BoB. For both Bangladesh and Japan, aligning Bangladesh’s IPO with Japan’s FOIP can significantly strengthen their strategic partnership, provided they adhere to the principles of inclusivity and values of peace and stability in their maritime cooperation. Ultimately, this partnership should prioritize maritime security and domain awareness over engaging in geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. Such an approach will elevate the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership to new heights, with maritime cooperation as a key component