Agenda

The Bay of Bengal Conversation is an annual geopolitical conference hosted by the Centre for Governance Studies in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The conference serves as a platform to facilitate Track 2 diplomacy among all nations that consider themselves stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region. This year will be the second edition of the conference. The conversation will be focused on addressing all fault lines that threaten regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

The world is once again witnessing the kind of great power rivalry that inevitably leads to the horrors of war. History has shown that nations caught in the crossfire bear the brunt of the consequences of reckless brinksmanship. Unfortunately for the Indo-Pacific nations, the region is quickly becoming a tinderbox. The only advantage we are allowed is to learn from past mistakes. And the only way to de-escalate the situation is through conversation.

In recent decades, the economic and geopolitical center of gravity has shifted eastward. Regions that were once considered the backwaters of the world now have begun a phase of rapid modernization, the likes of which the global north saw after World War II. The Indo-Pacific region, as understood today, comprises 40 countries and economies, 65% of the world’s population, 37% of the world’s poor, and an estimated 50% of the world’s GDP by 2040. Due to the rising adoption of technology, declining rates of poverty, and rapid development of infrastructure, this enormous population is just beginning to find its true potential for production and consumption. The region is also host to nations which are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Considering the inescapable importance of the region for any potential future world order, various global north nations have devised their national Indo-Pacific strategies. Whether it be through the allure of the Belt and Road infrastructure or the idealism of a free and open Indo-Pacific, an arms race of rhetoric is already underway.

However, the situation is not the same here as it was among the Cold War-era buffer states. The lines in the sand have not been drawn yet. Allegiances are intentionally left ambiguous, and there are no series of treaties and defense pacts that might oblige nations to pick a side. Instead, the nations of the Indo-Pacific have been presented with unique leverage over the competing world powers. And if they manage to play their cards right, the nations of the Indo-Pacific may dictate their own fate in the world to come. 

But before that can happen, the region must address its internal faultiness. This year, the Bay of Bengal conversation will host participants from 75 nations. Diplomats, politicians, bureaucrats, military experts, activists, academics, journalists, civil society representatives, business leaders and many other stakeholders will come together and discuss threats, potentials, and ideas to solve the most complex geopolitical issues and ideate ways to create a more integrated, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. 

This year’s Bay of Bengal Conversation will focus on identifying and elucidating aspects of the various Indo-Pacific strategies of different nations and delving into perspectives of regional stakeholders, academicians, and diplomats to expound on trends and trajectories of regional development and challenges. The conversation will cover five different perspectives in particular when analyzing geopolitical development in the Indo-Pacific:

1. SHIFTING ALLIANCES AND THE NEW GEOMETRY OF POWER

As the global order enters a new phase of strategic unpredictability, the traditional security alliances and geopolitical fault lines are undergoing unprecedented change. With the emergence of multipolarity, states are recalibrating their allegiances based on interest-driven pragmatism rather than ideology. This agenda explores how powers—both major and middle—are forging new alignments, navigating between blocs, and redefining the architecture of influence in regions like the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, and the Global South. It raises critical questions about sovereignty, non-alignment, and the relevance of legacy institutions.

2. CRISIS MULTIPLIED: WAR, FRAGILITY, AND THE END OF GLOBAL STABILITY? 

From Gaza and Ukraine to the Sahel, Myanmar, and Sudan, the post-pandemic world is marked by overlapping crises that defy resolution through conventional diplomacy. This agenda delves into how war, political breakdown, and institutional fragility are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a broader unraveling of the global order. It assesses the failures of multilateralism, the erosion of humanitarian norms, and the role of rising powers in responding to—or capitalizing on—instability. What happens when the world loses its crisis management mechanisms?

3. AI, DISINFORMATION, AND THE WEAPONIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

In 2025, information is not just power—it is a weapon. From deepfakes influencing elections to AI-generated propaganda reshaping conflicts, the digital information sphere has become a battleground for rival states, ideologies, and non-state actors. This agenda examines the convergence of artificial intelligence, surveillance, and strategic disinformation, and its implications for democracy, diplomacy, and governance. It also interrogates global efforts to regulate these technologies and asks whether freedom of expression can survive algorithmic warfare.

4. ECONOMIC REALIGNMENTS IN AN ERA OF SANCTIONS, DEBT., AND DE-RISKING 

The global economic landscape is being redrawn as trade wars intensify, supply chains fragment, and countries turn inward in the name of security. This agenda explores the impact of Western sanctions regimes, China’s Belt and Road recalibration, and the de-risking strategies of global corporations. It assesses how countries in the Bay of Bengal and beyond are responding to inflation, debt distress, and the need for sustainable growth. It also investigates the growing appeal of South–South trade and regional financial alternatives in an age of uncertainty.

5. CLIMATE, BORDERS, AND SECURITY IN A WARMING BAY 

In the Bay of Bengal and across the world, climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is an accelerating driver of conflict, displacement, and geopolitical tension. This agenda investigates how rising seas, shifting coastlines, and climate-induced migration are reshaping national security calculations. It highlights the urgent need for cooperative frameworks on climate security, maritime governance, and resource diplomacy. As the region becomes more fragile, this conversation asks whether countries can turn vulnerability into a platform for leadership and innovation.

As the direction for the future of the Indo-Pacific rests largely upon the action or inaction of regional actors, which kind of world order they would like to see and be a part of?