The Bay of Bengal, historically a key hub for global maritime connectivity, has become even more significant with the geopolitical emergence of the Indo-Pacific region. Its strategic position between the northern Indian Ocean and the Malacca Strait makes it a critical sea line of communication for East–West trade. This connectivity is vital for Southeast Asia, China, Japan, the U.S., Australia and the EU.

However, the growing importance of the region also exposes it to traditional and non-traditional maritime threats. China’s increasing presence has exacerbated geopolitical tensions even as the region faces challenges such as climate change, pollution, illegal fishing, terrorism and human and drug trafficking. These factors necessitate close cooperation among the littoral states to safeguard common interests and strengthen overall security in the maritime environment.

This paper provides an overview of the Bay of Bengal in the global context and proposes policy recommendations to bolster security, which in turn would promote trade, economic growth, peace and stability.

 This paper was originally published by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan (Retd.) is an Hon. Distinguished Fellow (Maritime & Defence Studies) and Aleena T Sabu is a Research Associate (International Relations) at Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi.

Views expressed by the authors are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.