Geopolitical studies of Bangladesh with special reference to the bridge-concept related to the Asean and SAARC countries

Abstract

The present thesis attempts to comprehend the potentialities and significances of Bangladesh in bridging between the ASEAN and the SAARC countries in geopolitical considerations. Moreover, it highlights the geo-strategic, geo-economical, and geopolitical aspects of Bangladesh with a transition of political power of different dynasties and governments that provides important physical, social and cultural features of the country. Bangladesh, one of the potential countries of the south and the south-east Asia, plays a vital geopolitical role for its special geographical location in the zones. This country bears a convenient geopolitical, geo-economical and geo-strategies importance among the regional and international blocks, such as ASEAN, SAARC, ESCAP, and CIRDAP. The SAARC countries contain about one-third of the total population of the world, and the ASEAN and the SAARC countries contain about half of the total population of the world. Hence, the Bangladesh is bridging between the SAARC (north-west, west and south-west of Bangladesh) and the ASEAN (south-east) regional blocks in Asia. Subsequently, Bangladesh is bordered by Indian states – West Bengal to the west, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura to the north and east, Mizoram to the east, the Bay of Bengal to the south and a small border is demarcated by the northeastern boundary of Myanmar (Arakan state). These critical, complex and significant geographical location influence the internal and external geopolitical phenomena of the country too. Consequently, the changing situation of world power signifies the South Asian geo-strategies, geo-economics and geopolitical scenarios that influences significantly due to some subsequent vital factors. First, Bangladesh is considered as the fourth largest Muslim country in the world. Second, the location of Bangladesh is within the geo-strategies frontier of India, a south Asian potential powerful and largest country. Third, it is very nearer to emerging superpower, China and ‘Emerging Economic Tigers’, Indonesia and Malaysia. Thus, geopolitically, geo-economically, and geo-strategically the significance of Bangladesh is immense. Finally, Bangladesh has an international communication route for the development of the south-east Asian region. Therefore, this study bears a huge academic as well as applied significance. In this research work, some quantitative techniques e.g. statistical analysis, data-table analysis, comparison diagram analysis are applied in order to examine the relationship between different geo-political variables and parameters regarding the mathematical factors analysis and the test of reliability for achieving and fulfilling the goals of the study. In brief, this study recommends some policies to make an effective plan, take necessary measures for the national security, and fulfill a systematic guideline to develop the countries significant enormously for Bangladesh.