Military Securitization to Existential Threat: A Comparative Analysis with Non-military Policy Options in Bangladesh

Abstract

Traditionally, the concept of security refers to the concept of state centric security meaning that securitizing national security and territorial integrity of a state with the employment of military power. With the emergence of new security challenges in the changed world order, the notion of security is no longer restricted to conventional or military security. The focus of security analysts and state actors has been shifting from conventional security to non-conventional aspects of security that include climate change, terrorism, poverty, ethnic conflicts, migration complexity, environmental degradation and marine pollution, cyber and transnational crime, negative impact of information technology and globalization, overpopulation problem, scarce resources, and other issues of human security. Although states, particularly after the end of Cold War, have to emphasize predominantly on multidimensional non-military security challenges, the importance of military security cannot be repudiated by the international actors. Therefore, on the question of security measures and mechanism, efforts are being sought by different states with a view of pursuance of comprehensive security policy. As to military forces especially in developing countries are nowadays questioned with the controversy over their utility in the changed global order, Bangladesh has to seek specific framework and well planning to diversify the role of its armed forces with a view to make visible economic return of defence expenditure through increased level of peacetime uses of the forces. It can be argued here that controversy over military expenditure in developing countries like Bangladesh can be mitigated to large extent if the fungible nature of military power is appropriately maneuvered in support of socio-economic and political development, and nation building in those countries. Despite the non-combat role of Bangladesh Armed Forces during peacetime is notable, huge amount of defence expenditure in recent years, followed by meeting Forces Goals-2030 and modernization programme, importantly require more non-military uses of the armed forces than the existing level. Dhaka University Institutional Repository This thesis paper is divided into eight chapters implying comparative analysis between military and non-military security policy options for Bangladesh. First chapter describes research methodology used in preparing the paper. Second chapter deals with the basic concept of security and securitization with different contested schools of thought. This chapter also includes concept of traditional security and non-traditional security indicating their distinguishing nature. Third chapter implies potentialities and existing scenarios of military and non-military threats to Bangladesh. In this chapter, efforts have been made to identify possible threats to Bangladesh emanated from both sources—military and non-military. Military strengths of three bordering countries—India, Myanmar and Bangladesh have been showed in chapter four. A comparison of military hardware and equipments, warships and combat aircrafts of these three countries are drawn in the chapter. Building a hypothetical warfare scenario between the countries whether Bangladesh could win or loss may be served by the chapter. Chapter five and six deal with military and non-military policy options for Bangladesh respectively. These two chapters provide the basis for the comparison between military security and non-military security and thereby recommend security policies Bangladesh should pursue. Chapter seven provides qualitative analyses on the issues of security and development nexus, development and military power in Third World states, democracy and military power, non-material determinants of military power, priorities between military and non-military securities, and optimum level of military expenditure in terms of Bangladesh. This chapter contains core portion of the thesis paper focusing on its aims and objectives, and hypotheses. Finally, chapter eight indicates existing and new areas of possible peacetime uses of Bangladesh Armed Forces with a view to make economic return of defence expenditure. The chapter also incorporates the success stories of the armed forces in the field of peace support operations at different periods of time. Research findings of this thesis paper show that degree of non-military threats sphere is much higher than that of military threats to Bangladesh. Somewhere it is figured out that Dhaka University Institutional Repository non-military threat has been merged with possible military threat. For instance, water dispute with neighbouring India, on one hand, leads to impair ecosystem and decrease agricultural productivity in Bangladesh, and thereby, in turn, affects the economy of the country. On the other hand, the dispute may be turned into military conflicts between the countries in future whether water crisis would further be intensified. However, non-military policy options, as stated in the hypothesis of the study, should get priority over military options in national security planning. In support of another hypothesis, findings of the paper indicate that it is possible to retrieve, directly or indirectly, the annual defense expenditure in the form of a visible return to maximum extent through civilian usages of military power. As perceived in third hypothesis, the thesis paper implies the fact that not higher military aspiration (if any) rather scheduled and successive modernization of military, in line with regional balance of power and socio-economic development of the country, is the suitable option for Bangladesh.