Highlighting the geographical position of Bangladesh in the Indo-Pacific region, international experts on Sunday said the country is set to gain huge economic dividend by becoming the manufacturing hub of the South Asian region.
The experts also pointed out that through getting access to Bangladesh seaports, especially the Matarbari deep seaport, north-east India can also accelerate its growth momentum.
"Bangladesh occupies a strategic position. It is in the intersection between the south Asia and the south-east Asia. The country should fully utilise its geographic advantage and expand economic advantage," Japanese Ambassador in Bangladesh Naoki Ito said while addressing the Asian Confluence River Conclave in Gwuahati, India.
Japan views that the development of Bangladesh is significant not only to the country itself, but also to overall stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, Mr Ito told a session - chaired by Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, former Indian Ambassador to Japan.
The Japanese envoy further said the dynamism, created by confluence of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, is the engine of economic growth of the entire world.
"The centre of gravity of the world economy is shifting towards the region that stretches from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, and India and Bangladesh should seize the momentum and enjoy more economic prosperity."
Terming the Matarbari deep seaport a game changer for economic development, he opined that it will be a hub of industry, energy and transportation. Once completed, it will connect South Asia as well as Japan and will also connect the north-east region of India.
Highlighting the tri-lateral cooperation among Bangladesh, India and Japan, he mentioned that these initiatives created a smooth connectivity in the region.
Mr Naoki Ito also pointed out that the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh are posing threat to the stability of the region, and urged all to resolve the crisis.
Kunihiko Kawazu, Charge the Affairs of Japan Embassy in India, told the session that when the landlocked countries in the region, like Nepal, Bhutan and the north-eastern states of India, will be connected to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh, the supply chain situation of the region will change dramatically.
He cited the example of the East West Corridor in south-east Asia that connects land-locked Laos to the sea through other countries.
Mr Kawazu also said the Matarbari deep seaport will connect the land-locked north-eastern regions of India to the sea through Bangladesh.
Matarbari will be the only deep seaport of this region, which will enable large-scale transportation and will offer huge business opportunities for Bangladesh and the north-eastern Indian states that are within 100-km reach of the port.
The two-day conclave ended on Sunday, where Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the closing speech.
She said the theme of the conclave that focuses on building alliances among regions and having growth through interdependence are also the visions of the Indian government.
Sabyasachi Dutta, executive director of the Asian Confluence, thanked the participants and partners for making the conclave a success through valuable deliberations.
He said such initiative of the organisation to promote regional connectivity will continue.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
