The United States wants to see Bangladesh as a ‘net security provider’ in the Indo-Pacific region

The US wants Bangladesh to become a ‘net security provider’ ‘responsibly’ in the region and Bangladesh to be able to respond positively to natural disasters and other issues with its growing capacity.

Maxwell Martin, an IPS expert at the US Embassy in Dhaka, said Bangladesh has made a lot of progress in the past few years and we are proud to be a part of that effort. We hope the Government of Bangladesh will see the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) as an opportunity to collaborate with us and our partners to help address Bangladesh’s security concerns.

He said these while briefing reporters on the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and its implications for Bangladesh’ at the embassy on Thursday (April 25).

This American expert said that Bangladesh-US cooperation to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific is only one aspect of their extensive bilateral relations.

Martin said the US-Bangladesh relationship is driven by our two countries’ common history, values ​​and future prospects. It is not defined by India, China, Russia or any third country.

In response to a question, he said, they see their relations with the countries of the South Asian region and the Indo-Pacific region in general on a bilateral basis.

The IPS expert said, we do not see our relations with other countries from the perspective of other countries. We sometimes hear in Bangladesh through the media and some people’s comments, that the US sees Bangladesh in the light of India’s perspective. I think this is not true.

He said, they see their relations with Bangladesh on the basis of common interests and bilateral priorities.

Martin said enhanced and renewed engagement with Bangladesh must be part of the Indo-Pacific strategy.

In response to a question from UNB, he said that the United States wants to ensure a free and open region, to strengthen security, including by creating connectivity and increasing interdependence.

The IPS expert said, ‘We will engage with the Bangladesh government to fix all these issues and create clear opportunities for partnership across the five pillars.’

He said the Indo-Pacific strategy is a “positive and progressive approach. It consists of five equally important and interconnected pillars.”

On the role of civil society, private sector and experts in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, he said, he sees all these organizations and institutions playing an important role.

Martin said the IPS is not aimed at confronting China, it’s just a vision. In light of that vision, they envision what the region should be and how the region should be free and open, prosperous, secure, connected and tolerant, and how it can benefit the people and countries of the Indo-Pacific region.

He said, ‘Of course we have a policy on China. It is separate from the Indo Pacific Strategy and deals with investment, alignment and competitiveness. China is a major leading country in the region.’

IPS experts said they want people to understand what the Indo-Pacific strategy is, as there is sometimes confusion about it.

He said, ‘We want to increase our cooperation and involvement with Bangladesh. We have always been saying, we are ready to move as fast as the Bangladesh government moves and will continue this discussion.’

In response to a question, he said, Quad is not an alliance. ‘I want to emphasize that the Quad is not an alliance. It is not a military alliance. It is a flexible grouping of countries with common interests in the region. They can come together to think about common problems and ways of dealing with problems in different ways. That’s what Quad really is.’

Martin said he did not think the quad was something Bangladesh should fear. We understand that Bangladesh balances its relations with us and others in the region.

He said, they are very focused on the idea that good governance means prosperity in Bangladesh. “This is one of the main goals of our political involvement in Bangladesh.”

Martin said they want to see a region where no country dominates and no country is dominated, and this principle applies everywhere.

As the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing region, the Indo-Pacific is a top priority for US foreign policy and essential to shared global security and prosperity, he said in his opening remarks.

The United States welcomed the release of the Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh in April 2023.

“We have many common interests and look forward to our engagement in building inclusive economic prosperity and environmental and social resilience in the face of the multifaceted threats of the 21st century,” he said.

“The US Indo-Pacific strategy is not a military alliance and it does not want to be a military alliance,” Martin said. It defines what we stand for, not what we are against. It is not a club that one can join, but one that has the same view of any race and people.’

“It is not our goal to force countries to choose between the United States and any other partner,” he said. Rather it is about us ensuring that the region is free and open where countries are free to make their own choices.’

The US Indo-Pacific Strategy released in February 2022 contains a commitment and a unified vision for the Indo-Pacific region, which will become free and open and more connected, prosperous, secure and resilient.

He said, ‘Many countries and peoples of the Indo-Pacific share aspects of this vision for the region. When we work together, we can build a better future together.’

In terms of relations in the region, many countries, including the United States, have important economic or people-to-people ties with China that they want to preserve.

He said, each country will manage its bilateral relations and interests differently. “We don’t expect every country to value China the same way we do,” Martin said.

President Biden has made it clear that the United States and China can and should work together on global challenges such as climate change, macroeconomic resilience, health protection and food security.

“We want to manage competition responsibly in US-China relations and are determined to avoid conflict or conflict,” the IPS expert said.

However, controlling competition requires responsibly interested parties. He added that they must keep communication open even in the face of competition and that requires the strategic maturity to accept that.

Martin said the United States is working closely with partners to keep the Indo-Pacific region free, open and accessible, to connect within and outside of it, to achieve regional prosperity, to strengthen regional security and to increase regional resilience in the face of 21st century transnational threats.

The IPS expert also said that there are many concrete examples of this work in Bangladesh and the entire region. Source: UNB