Rokan's Journal

By Brig Gen (retd) HRM Rokan Uddin, psc

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of 21st-century geopolitics, national security is no longer confined to traditional military threats. For a strategically located country like Bangladesh—nestled between two regional powers, India and China, and within proximity of the volatile Bay of Bengal—the scope and complexity of national security challenges demand a fundamental rethinking. From political instability and hybrid warfare to environmental vulnerabilities and digital espionage, the security landscape is increasingly multifaceted. This article seeks to comprehensively analyze the current and emerging threats to Bangladesh’s national security and to propose a strategic framework rooted in national unity, institutional resilience, and geopolitical pragmatism.

I. Traditional Security Threats: The Military Dimension

1. Regional Power Imbalance and Geopolitical Pressures: The dominance of India in South Asia poses unique challenges to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy. India’s overt and covert influence in Dhaka’s domestic politics, its control over shared rivers, non-tariff barriers, and border encroachments continue to strain bilateral relations. At the same time, China’s growing footprint through infrastructure investments and military aid to Bangladesh introduces complex geopolitical calculations. Balancing relations with both powers without compromising national interests requires deft diplomacy and a sovereign military posture.

2. Neglect of Armed Forces in National Security Discourse: Despite their central role in nation-building, border security, counter-insurgency, and UN peacekeeping, the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been gradually sidelined from strategic decision-making. Politicization of security institutions, disproportionate empowerment of paramilitary and police forces, and lack of modernization in certain defense capabilities have weakened deterrence and preparedness.

Recommendation:  Restore the central role of the armed forces in national security policy. Institutionalize a National Security Council (NSC) where defense leadership contributes directly to strategic planning. Investment in indigenous defense capabilities and joint military-industrial partnerships with friendly nations should also be prioritized.

I. Non-Traditional Threats: The Expanding Security Frontier

1. Cybersecurity and Digital Espionage: The digital revolution has introduced new vulnerabilities. Bangladesh has already faced cyberattacks on its banking system (e.g., the 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist). State-sponsored surveillance, data theft, and propaganda campaigns—often orchestrated from neighboring countries—pose a persistent threat to national sovereignty.

Recommendation: Establish a robust Cyber Defense Command under the Ministry of Defense. Promote collaboration between the armed forces, BTRC, ICT Division, and private sector cybersecurity firms to defend critical digital infrastructure.

2. Religious Extremism and Cross-Border Radicalization: Though largely under control, the threat of extremist resurgence—especially with the regional rise of Islamophobic policies and fringe transnational ideologies—remains a concern. Cross-border ideological infiltration and financing can disrupt internal harmony and destabilize the state.

Recommendation: Invest in counter-radicalization education, interfaith dialogue, and surveillance of foreign-funded institutions. Border intelligence sharing with trusted partners is essential, as is the role of local clerics in community engagement.

3. Environmental and Climate Security: Bangladesh is among the most climate-vulnerable nations globally. Sea-level rise, river erosion, salinity intrusion, and extreme weather events could displace millions—triggering food insecurity, mass migration, and even border tensions with neighbors.

Recommendation: Incorporate climate resilience into the national security doctrine. Mobilize the armed forces in climate disaster preparedness and recovery. Promote climate diplomacy to seek regional and global cooperation on water sharing and environmental sustainability.

III. Internal Threats to National Security

1. Political Instability and Partisan Governance: When governance structures are perceived as biased, authoritarian, or compromised, social cohesion suffers. Political polarization, suppression of dissent, and erosion of democratic institutions weaken national unity—making the state vulnerable to both internal uprisings and foreign manipulation.

Recommendation: Build a culture of inclusive governance and national dialogue. Reforms in the electoral process, decentralization of power, and strengthening of the rule of law are prerequisites for internal stability.

2. Corruption and Economic Injustice: Systemic corruption within key sectors—law enforcement, public procurement, and political patronage—undermines institutional trust and economic resilience. External actors can exploit economic vulnerabilities to assert political control.

Recommendation: Enforce strict anti-corruption measures with transparent oversight bodies. Establish a National Integrity Commission with constitutional backing. Promote economic justice by ensuring equitable development, particularly in marginalized regions.

IV. External Manipulation and Hybrid Warfare

1. Information Warfare and Media Capture: External powers often exploit media narratives to manipulate public opinion in Bangladesh. Disinformation, selective censorship, and social media warfare are tools of psychological operations that fragment the national psyche.

Recommendation: Develop a Strategic Communication Command to monitor and counteract fake news, misinformation, and propaganda. Promote independent and responsible journalism that reflects national interest.

2. Diplomatic Isolation and Foreign Dependence: Over-reliance on one foreign power in diplomacy, defense, or trade creates vulnerability. Bangladesh’s diplomatic balancing has deteriorated, especially with weakening ties with some Muslim-majority countries and overdependence on Delhi-centric policymaking.

Recommendation: Recalibrate foreign policy through strategic diversification. Strengthen ties with ASEAN, the Middle East, the Global South, and emerging powers. Engage in issue-based alliances without compromising sovereignty.

V. Building a Resilient National Security Architecture

1. National Security Doctrine 2.0: Bangladesh needs a comprehensive, forward-looking National Security Doctrine—covering military, economic, environmental, technological, and cultural dimensions. This doctrine must be people-centered, inclusive, and regularly updated in response to shifting threats.

2. Education and Civic Awareness: Security begins with the people. National unity, resilience, and patriotism must be nurtured through education, civic training, and public engagement.

3. Civil-Military Synergy: Security is a shared responsibility. A unified approach—leveraging the experience of the military and the outreach of civil institutions—must guide national responses to crises. Distrust between institutions must be replaced by respect, accountability, and collaboration.

Conclusion: Toward a Secure and Sovereign Bangladesh

Rethinking national security means more than upgrading weapons or guarding borders. It goes far beyond purchasing military hardware or deploying troops to patrol frontier lines. True national security is about cultivating the very soul of a nation—one that is inclusive in its governance, resilient in its institutions, and aware in its citizenry. It means constructing a society where every citizen feels secure not just from foreign invasion, but also from poverty, injustice, discrimination, misinformation, and institutional neglect. It is about ensuring that the interests of the people and the principles of sovereignty, justice, and independence are protected in every decision made—from defense and diplomacy to economy and education. When the rights of the people are respected, when governance is just and participatory, and when institutions operate transparently and accountably, the nation becomes inherently secure—resistant to both external pressures and internal erosion.

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. We live in an age where cyberattacks can paralyze nations, information wars can distort national identity, climate change can redraw borders, and economic dependencies can enslave sovereign choices. In such a reality, relying solely on conventional defense frameworks is not only inadequate—it is dangerous. Bangladesh must rise with a new security doctrine, one that embraces the complexity of modern threats with intelligence, pragmatism, and unity. Our approach must be holistic, integrating military preparedness with economic stability, social harmony, diplomatic balance, and digital security. It must be intelligent, guided by strategic foresight, not reactive fear. And it must be united, drawing strength from the collective will of a people who stand together under one flag, one purpose.

Let this be an era of strategic awakening—a time when Bangladesh redefines its strength not by the size of its arsenal, but by the depth of its vision; not by fear of its enemies, but by the confidence in its values; not by submission to greater powers, but by the unshakeable conviction in its own sovereignty. Only then can Bangladesh truly stand tall—not as a vulnerable state caught in regional power plays, but as a dignified, self-reliant nation with a voice of its own, a will of its own, and a destiny it controls with honor and courage.