Dhaka, 17 November 2025: A two-day international workshop titled “Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean” is Inaugurated today Monday (17-11-2 2025) at the InterContinental Dhaka, bringing together senior naval officials, policy experts, researchers, diplomats, and maritime professionals from Bangladesh, Australia, and other regional partners. The workshop was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD) and the National Security College (NSC) of the Australian National University (ANU). The Workshop focused on MDA analytical and information sharing techniques. It included expert training in analytic techniques as well as case studies from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore and the Western Indian Ocean.
The opening session was honoured by the presence of Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, OSP, NPP, ndc, psc, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief Patron of BIMRAD, who attended as the Honourable Chief Guest. Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali, OSP, NPP, BCGM, ndc, psc, Chairman of BIMRAD, and Her Excellency Susan Ryle, Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, attended the event as Special Guests, marking the session with both strategic and diplomatic significance. Their presence underscored the growing importance of maritime domain awareness in strengthening security, stability, and responsible ocean governance across the Indian Ocean region.
The event commenced with welcome remarks by Commodore Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad, BN (Retd), Director General of BIMRAD, along with Dr. David Brewster, Senior Research Fellow at the National Security College of Australian National University. They jointly highlighted that strengthening maritime domain awareness is not merely a technical requirement, but a strategic imperative for safeguarding national maritime interests, advancing capabilities in information fusion, and fostering coordinated maritime governance across the region.
In his address, Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali emphasized BIMRAD’s continued engagement in research-driven policy, knowledge exchange, and international cooperation, positioning the organisation as a vital contributor in shaping Bangladesh’s maritime strategic outlook. He stated that enhanced MDA is central to addressing challenges ranging from maritime security threats to environmental protection, while also enabling long-term blue-economy aspirations in line with national development priorities.
Speaking as Special Guest, Her Excellency Susan Ryle stressed that effective maritime domain awareness can only be achieved through trust-based collaboration, shared responsibility, and collective capacity building among regional partners. She commended Bangladesh’s proactive maritime engagement and praised BIMRAD for serving as a growing platform for regional research cooperation, dialogue, and policymaking with credible international partners.
In his remarks as Honourable Chief Guest, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief Patron of BIMRAD, Admiral M Nazmul Hassan highlighted that real-time maritime situational awareness is a critical tool for operational readiness, crisis response, resource protection, and maritime deterrence. He stressed the need to enhance interoperability among navies, coast guards, and relevant agencies while ensuring structured collaboration with regional allies, academic institutions, and maritime technology partners to counter threats such as illegal fishing, smuggling, trafficking, piracy, and environmental incidents.
Over the course of the workshop, technical sessions addressed key elements of maritime situational integration including data sharing, information fusion, surveillance technology, analytical modelling, and skills development. Representatives from the Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, maritime law enforcement bodies, academic institutions, and private-sector organizations actively contributed to meaningful discussions and solution-driven dialogues.
The workshop concluded with a collective expression of commitment to strengthened maritime partnerships, knowledge-based capacity development, and continued cooperation across institutions and regions. The event reflected a shared strategic resolve to reinforce maritime governance, operational preparedness, and sustainable ocean use, while supporting Bangladesh’s vision of securing a resilient, safe, and prosperous blue-economy future in the Indian Ocean.
