Experts call for India-Bangladesh cooperation on unresolved Bay of Bengal zones

Maritime analysts are calling for deeper cooperation between India and Bangladesh to effectively manage unresolved jurisdictional complexities in the Bay of Bengal, even though a landmark UN tribunal ruling in 2014 formally settled the long-running maritime boundary dispute between the two neighbours.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration had awarded Bangladesh 19,467 sq km of the 25,602 sq km contested maritime area, a verdict accepted by both New Delhi and Dhaka. But specialists say certain overlapping or “grey zones” persist—areas where Bangladesh holds sovereign rights over the seabed, including natural resources, while India maintains jurisdiction over the water column above.
Joshua Alexander, a maritime expert who advised the Bangladeshi government for more than a decade, said these layered zones make day-to-day management challenging without a clearly coordinated framework. He noted that Bangladesh cannot approve seabed activities such as oil and gas installations without considering India’s authority over the waters above them, complicating enforcement, security operations and commercial ventures.
Alexander said both countries still lack an operational mechanism for managing these resource-rich and strategically sensitive areas, despite the boundary being legally resolved. He stressed the need for a joint management structure addressing navigation, security, environmental protection and resource extraction to avoid future disputes or accidental violations.
Bangladesh’s interim government is meanwhile pushing ahead with major port modernisation plans. Alexander welcomed Dhaka’s recent decision to lease Chittagong port’s New Mooring Container Terminal to UAE-based DP World, saying the move reflects Bangladesh’s right as a sovereign maritime nation to optimise port capacity and attract global investment.
He credited previous administrations for strengthening maritime security but urged long-term planning, including preparing for growing use of autonomous vessels, advanced surveillance systems and new cybersecurity risks for ships calling at Bangladeshi ports.
Interim Chief Adviser Prof Mohammed Yunus has portrayed Bangladesh as the “guardian of the ocean” in the northern Bay of Bengal, highlighting the country’s responsibility in keeping regional waters safe and navigable. He has also suggested that Bangladesh’s ports—such as Chittagong and the deep-sea port at Matarbari—could offer vital maritime access for India’s northeastern states, which are connected to the Indian mainland only through the narrow Siliguri Corridor.
Analysts say stronger maritime coordination between the two neighbours will be essential not only for managing overlapping jurisdictions but also for ensuring secure trade routes, unlocking offshore resource potential and maintaining stability in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.