Once labelled a ‘basket case’ by US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the aftermath of its economy-crippling liberation war, Bangladesh is now considered as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. [1] From being one of the poorest nations at its birth in 1971, Bangladesh attained lower-middle-income status in 2015, and, as of 2022, is on track to exit the United Nations’ list of least developed countries in 2026. [2] Bangladesh is enclosed almost entirely by India (in the west, north, and east), with its south opening to the Bay of Bengal. As such, its seaports are crucial to the economy, and currently conduct over 90 percent of the country’s international trade. [3] Indeed, Bangladesh’s location at the north of the Bay allows for access to the important sea lines of communication (SLOCs) [a] that cross these waters.
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