Soon after the delimitation of maritime boundary, the entire nation seemed to have suddenly become aware of our legitimate right and jurisdiction over the newly acquired maritime territory. Now that we have a sea - an undisputed one of our own - we need an integrated maritime policy covering the complex systems of the sea, the knowledge and control of which are of great importance for the future of the country and survivability of the nation. 

An integrated maritime policy will make for a coherent approach to all maritime issues which require increased coordination between different maritime agencies. It seeks to promote inter-connection of maritime industries and all human activities on or at sea. This is of great importance because whether the issue is shipping or ports, energy extraction, marine scientific research, fishing, tourism or maritime security, a decision in one area, in most cases, affects others. Therefore, an integrated maritime policy will allow all the authorities concerned to act within a broad guideline causing them to cooperate rather than working separately on different aspects of the same problem. It would build close cooperation between decision-makers at all levels of national authorities in different maritime sectors. 

We need to recognise the importance of a more structured and systematic maritime collaboration in order to promote the maritime interest of our country. The country has truly realised that it may not be possible for us to meet the challenges facing the country in the 21st century without the sea. 

Bangladesh is not only a coastal land but also a port state with two principal sea ports located at the most strategic positions, along with numerous other inland ports. We have now become a complete trading nation with high levels of exports and imports and, most encouragingly, the trade and commerce of the country are growing at a considerable rate. With the current trend of growth, it is just a matter of time before Bangladesh becomes a major trade destination of the world. Other maritime industries like shipbuilding are also flourishing. Coastal and maritime tourism are also booming. This diversity of the maritime sectors and large numbers of competing and coherent interests necessitate that we must have a holistic maritime policy built under a reliable framework. 

We may think about developing a comprehensive maritime policy encompassing a number of strategic objectives including:

    -- Enhancing competitiveness of the maritime trade industries and shipbuilding

    -- Conducting marine scientific research to explore sea resources 

    -- Exploiting the potential for more job creation.

    -- Achieving a good environmental status

    -- Maintaining ecological development

    -- Initiating actions to tackle climate change

    -- Building a comprehensive security network

We need a broad maritime development plan encompassing a set of policy priorities in order to achieve our formulated objectives at sea. For that, we shall have to strengthen marine scientific research to uncover what more could be explored or what more benefits could be gained out of the sea. We must have the ability to use the sea sustainably without any disruption or unnecessary interruption. Our policy priorities should be to protect the marine environment and tackle potential climate changes. There is no denying that only an ecologically intact and healthy sea can be a long-term source of food, growth and employment for us. We shall have to optimise the quality of life in coastal regions and raise people's awareness of the sea and their importance for the overall prosperity of the country.

For implementing these objectives and policies, we will have to establish an efficient structure for coordination and cooperation among the concerned authorities and hold periodic dialogues between them. A linkage between existing maritime bodies as well as between all political levels shall have to be ensured for smooth flow of activities at sea. In this way, the framework for maritime industries, research, environment, safety and security can be improved.

We need to establish appropriate procedures to ensure that maritime policy matters and needs are transformed into departmental practices and, then in turn, departmental issues are reviewed in terms of their impact at sea. It is quite encouraging that the government has already formulated a maritime policy for Bangladesh taking into account all relevant maritime issues. It's time the policy is implemented.

In the interest of maritime environment protection, maritime security, and maritime surveillance and observation, linked-up efforts with our neighbours are also important. What is more, a holistic approach to maritime policy with regard to global engagement is necessary since neither wind, currents, emissions nor marine creatures or ships stop at the national border. 

An integrated maritime policy will provide us with the opportunity to consider reciprocal interaction between economic growth, environmental protection and social prosperity in an inclusive way. Once an approved integrated maritime policy is available, it will be possible to constantly evolve and update the individual measures and projects, and evaluate them at regular intervals in the future. We must always remember that only a composed maritime policy can fulfill the maritime goal of the nation and make the country truly littoral. 

The writer is a Directing Staff at Defence Services Command and Staff College. 
Email:masudulkarim33@gmail.com