The center of South Asia is no longer the 'Himalayas', but the 'Bay of Bengal', said Professor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir of the Department of Development Studies of Dhaka University.
He said this at a national dialogue titled 'Unity, Reform and Election' organized by the 'Forum for Bangladesh Studies' at the Krishibid Institute in Khamarbari in the capital on Saturday (December 28).
Professor Titumir said that the government can create an environment through which the political government can lead South Asia in the future. The center of South Asia is no longer the Himalayas, but the Bay of Bengal. An environment must be created to lead it.
Commenting on the changing nature of international geopolitics, Professor Titumir said that the biggest change will happen in 2025. There will be a change from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. There is no leader in this region who can lead nationally in the current situation in the Bay of Bengal. We may have new neighbors, new states may emerge. Therefore, such a situation should be created that Bangladesh will lead internationally geopolitically in South Asia.
He said that instead of opposing reforms and elections, we should move towards minimum unity. Beyond this, since politics is transitional, there will be no unity at all.
Stating that the economy is in a recession, he said that there is no talk about economic production. In fact, it will not work in the IMF way, nor any other way. If we work in the domestic way, we can create examples. But overall reforms cannot be carried out. The government should have only one goal, to create examples. Four to five examples should be created.
He commented that it is the responsibility of the NBR to find out where the sponsors of the 12 banks recently approved in Bangladesh got their sponsorship from.
Present at the event, moderated by Daily Ittefaq's Executive Editor Saleh Uddin, were Shipping Adviser Brigadier (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, Gono Forum Co-Chairman Subrata Chowdhury, National Citizens Committee's Sarwar Tushar, lyricist Shahidullah Faraji, among others.