Dhaka, Aug 06 (V7N) – Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus has emphasized the strategic importance of the Bay of Bengal, calling for a shift in national perspective to treat the vast maritime zone as an integral and valuable part of Bangladesh’s future economic growth.

In his national address on Tuesday night (August 5), delivered to mark July Uprising Day, Professor Yunus presented a bold vision of a “water-based economy”, urging the nation to recognize the oceans and rivers as critical resources rather than neglected frontiers.

“From now on, we will always move forward keeping in mind that the Bay of Bengal is a valuable part of our country,” said Professor Yunus. “We will trade with the country and abroad through the waters of this part. Through that, we will make the whole world our neighbor.”

Redefining Geography and Economic Strategy

The Chief Advisor argued that Bangladesh must fundamentally change its way of thinking about geography and resource allocation.

“We often forget that a part of the Bay of Bengal is also our country,” he said. “Its area is larger than our landmass, yet we worry almost exclusively about the half we live on—the land. We do not include the seas, haors, and baors in our calculations because we don’t reside there.”

He pointed to the immense potential of marine resources, describing the waters as containing “endless wealth—from fisheries that regenerate annually to vast reserves of underwater gas.”

Toward a Blue Economy

Yunus’s vision mirrors global calls for investment in a blue economy—a sustainable economic model that emphasizes responsible use of marine resources for growth, jobs, and environmental protection.

“I have always said the rivers and vast seas of this country are our valuable assets. We want to use these assets to build a water-based economy in parallel with our existing one,” he stated.

His remarks come amid efforts by the interim government to revive Bangladesh’s economy, which had suffered from prolonged political instability and years of neglect in regional maritime development.

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