In the changing landscape of 21st-century maritime geopolitics—where science influences sovereignty, and data shapes destiny—knowledge has become a key tool of power. It not only determines who controls the oceans but also who gets to define their significance. For Bangladesh, a nation located at the edge of the Bay of Bengal with hard-won maritime rights and increasing strategic interests, the challenge is not just physical control but also epistemic sovereignty. At this pivotal moment, the country must move beyond being a passive recipient of borrowed frameworks and start producing its maritime knowledge. The student-led uprising of last year, rooted in demands for justice, accountability, and dignity, highlighted the moral urgency of this shift. More than a political protest, it was a call also to reclaim the right to know, to narrate, and to guide our maritime future—on our terms.
The student-led uprising last year signaled a mandate for change. Although the protests stemmed from injustice and oppression that caused political frustration, they primarily represented a call for epistemic justice—a demand for Bangladesh to stop being defined by others and instead define itself. There are two key moments, two opportunities for maritime Bangladesh: the student-led fight for justice against tyranny in 2024, and the UN Ocean Decade for sustainable development from 2021 to 2030. Lest we forget, after nearly a year under the caretaker government, these moments offer a chance to challenge biased narratives and the global knowledge hierarchies that continue to shape and influence both our marginality and dependence.


The Epistemic Battle beneath the Waves


Ramón Grosfoguel, a prominent American decolonial theorist, argues that “the geopolitics of knowledge” refers to the unequal global distribution of knowledge production, validation, and circulation, where Western-centric epistemologies dominate and marginalize other ways of knowing. He emphasizes that the global knowledge system is profoundly shaped by colonial legacies, in which Europe and North America occupy the “center” of epistemic authority. At the same time, the rest of the world is relegated to the “periphery” as knowledge consumers rather than producers. In His Own Words, Ramón Grosfoguel says: “There is no neutral, universal knowledge. All knowledge is geopolitically and body-politically located. To pretend to be beyond location is part of the Western epistemic strategy of domination.”


Nowhere is this more evident than in ocean governance. Bangladesh may have finalized its maritime boundaries through international tribunals. However, it still depends on external sources—using donor-driven frameworks, foreign consultants, and outside institutions to map, analyze, and interpret its maritime space. This dependence has tangible effects: from deciding who surveys our seabed to determining who predicts climate impacts or manages marine resources. To borrow an African proverb: “Until the lions learn to read and write, all the stories will glorify the hunters.” Bangladesh must become both creator and analyst—mapping, coding, narrating, and governing its marine domain.


Indo-Pacific Currents: From Object to Subject


The Bay of Bengal is no longer seen as just a border; it has become a crucial part of the Indo-Pacific strategic region. However, in both global and regional strategy reports—from Washington to Tokyo—Bangladesh is often mentioned as a transit or logistics hub, seldom recognized as a sovereign actor with its maritime ambitions. This lack of visibility is not accidental—it stems from a lack of understanding.
To reverse this trend, Bangladesh must shift from being a geostrategic object to a geopolitical actor. We need to develop an indigenous maritime knowledge infrastructure—across universities, think tanks, hydrographic agencies, and legal research organizations—that enables us to set our priorities and speak in our voice.


The People's Ocean: From Protest to Policy

 
Last year's protests were not just political—they were epistemic. They exposed the gap between elite policymaking and the hopes of the youth, who demand a future based on justice, competence, and national dignity. This generational energy must now be channeled into developing a sovereign maritime knowledge movement. Let us envision a Bangladesh where:


Institutions like BIMRAD, BORI, the Oceanography department of various universities, and the Maritime University serve as national anchors of marine research and maritime diplomacy.


Ocean science and blue humanities are taught as rooted, sovereign disciplines—reflecting our ecological memory, maritime heritage, and coastal culture.


Publicly governed marine databases are built by and for Bangladeshis.


Maritime policy formulation blends evidence-based science with ethical stewardship, grounded in our deep spiritual reflections and marine heritage.


Knowledge as Sovereignty

 
Sovereignty today is not just about controlling borders—it involves shaping the frameworks through which the world is understood. If others gather our hydrographic data, if our marine policies reflect donor agendas, and if our schoolchildren learn about the ocean from foreign-written textbooks, then our sovereignty is merely symbolic at best. The UN’s Ocean Decade (2021–2030) should not become a platform for technocratic dependence. For Bangladesh, it must be a decade of epistemic liberation—reclaiming the right to tell, interpret, and steer the maritime domain on our terms.


Strategic Literacy in a Changing Indo-Pacific


The Indo-Pacific isn't just a zone of naval power and alliances — it's a mental space influenced by competing ideas of connectivity, security, and development. Or as Tim Marshall posits, “The Indo-Pacific is an idea whose time has come. In the twenty-first-century globalized and cyber-connected world, the economic engine is the centre, and that centre is the Indo-Pacific.” Bangladesh occupies a vital position in this developing framework, yet its strategic understanding is still lacking. We are often discussed, but rarely do we speak for ourselves.


A robust maritime future demands more than ships; it demands strategic literacy—a homegrown understanding of regional dynamics, ecological interdependence, and the power of ideas. Without this, Bangladesh risks becoming a passive waypoint in strategies devised by others.


A Generation Ready to Reclaim the Sea


The student movement from last year broke long-standing silences. It called for transparency, fairness, and a new vision of national purpose. That same civic spirit must now be directed toward developing a strong national maritime consciousness. Let us invest in marine science centers in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, and Kuakata. Let us empower our youth to understand the patterns of the Bay of Bengal with the same pride others have when decoding the stars. Let our research be daring, our policies forward-thinking, and our voice our own.


From Rhetoric to Responsibility


Bangladesh’s talk of a "blue economy" must move beyond slogans and MOUs. We need:


A national ocean data policy that ensures data sovereignty.


Strategic alliances centered on knowledge-sharing, not dependency.


Scaled-up investment in interdisciplinary ocean education.


Research that bridges marine science, legal frameworks, artificial intelligence, and climate justice.


Most importantly, we must understand that in today’s world, data is territory, and knowledge is power projection. If we do not define ourselves, others will define us—and that definition will serve their interests, not ours.


The Ocean as a Mirror of National Aspiration


Bangladesh’s maritime journey—from dispute settlements through UNCLOS to blue economy ambitions—is now at a crossroads. The question is not whether the ocean will shape our future, but whether we will shape the ocean’s. To achieve this, we must democratize knowledge, decolonize discourse, and ground our maritime future in the people's mandate. The next generation is prepared. The tide is high—the future remains unwritten. Let us not just ride the waves. Let us command them—with clarity, with knowledge, and with a sovereignty that begins in the mind.
Reflections

Rhetoric, policy pronouncements, or strategic proximity alone will not secure Bangladesh’s maritime future. It will be earned by developing an independent knowledge base—scientific, cultural, and strategic—that positions our role in the Indo-Pacific not as a corridor or conduit, but as a conscious and capable actor. In an era where data defines power and narratives influence legitimacy, we must act quickly to decolonize our minds, straighten our ocean discourse, and foster a sovereign imagination. The wave of civic awakening gives us a rare chance to align national ambition with generational energy. Let us not wait to be spoken for. Let us speak—for our sea, for our sovereignty, and for a future only we can shape. The ocean is watching. The world is listening. Bangladesh must now lead—with knowledge as its guide and justice as its foundation.

 

Writer: Commodore Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad, (C), NUP, ndc, afwc, psc, BN (retd), Director General, Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD). Email: misbah28686@gmail.com