Bay of Bengal could become next frontier of conflict: MJ Akbar
Around 80% of China’s energy still flows through the Malacca Strait, he says.
The Bay of Bengal and wider Indian Ocean could become the next major theatre of geopolitical conflict as tensions across strategic waterways converge, Indian journalist and former minister MJ Akbar warned today (4 October).
"If Taiwan flares up, for which preparations are already being made, then that conflict inevitably will have at its focal point the Malacca Straits," Akbar said at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.
Speaking at the session titled "Five Seas, One Gathering Storm", he said conflicts around the Black, Mediterranean, Caspian, Red and Arabian seas could eventually draw the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal into their path.
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Around 80% of China's energy still flows through the Malacca Strait, he said, making it a critical strategic chokepoint despite efforts to diversify supply routes.
Akbar warned that the convergence of conflicts across strategic regions could lead to "intensifying chaos" and a wider global conflagration.
Akbar also stressed the importance of preserving long-term India-Bangladesh ties despite political differences.
"I never think that passing clouds or passing storms can ever remove the sunshine of the Indo-Bangladesh relationship," he said, describing Bangladesh and India as "civilizational states".
EU sees Bangladesh as strategic partner
Speaking immediately after Akbar, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller said the European Union now viewed Bangladesh as a partner of "growing strategic importance" in South Asia, the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indo-Pacific.
"This is a country of scale, ambition, and consequence. It matters in South Asia, in the Bay of Bengal, and in the wider Indo-Pacific," Miller said.
He said strong institutions, independent oversight mechanisms and predictable, inclusive decision-making would be essential for Bangladesh to withstand growing geo-economic, climate, social and technological pressures.
"If this country is to attract investment, both foreign and domestic, and to create meaningful jobs for its youth, it will require strong institutions and oversight mechanisms," Miller said.
He also called for progress on constitutional reform and greater political consensus, alongside safeguards for critical infrastructure and transparent data management.
Miller said the EU was moving beyond its traditional donor-recipient relationship with Bangladesh and seeking a "different level of ambition", including cooperation on LDC graduation and exploration of a future free trade agreement.
The proposed FTA would be a "first-of-its-kind" with a country yet to graduate from LDC status, he said, but stressed the need for a balanced and reciprocal agreement.
"Think level playing field, please. For our businesses," he said.
