Photo: ISPR

DHAKA, Nov 17, 2025 (BSS) - A two-day international workshop titled "Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean" inaugurated today at the 
InterContinental Hotel here bringing together senior naval officials, policy 
experts, researchers, diplomats, and maritime professionals from Bangladesh, 
Australia, and other regional partners.

A release of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate said this 
evening afternoon.

The Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD) and 
the National Security College (NSC) of the Australian National University 
(ANU) jointly organised the workshop, focusing 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 Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief Patron of BIMRAD Admiral M Nazmul 
Hassan was present as the chief guest at the opening session.
 
Chairman of the BIMRAD Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali and Australian High 
Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle 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, said the release. 

BN (Retd) Director General of BIMRAD Commodore Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad, 
Senior Research Fellow at the National Security College of Australian 
National University Dr David Brewster delivered welcome remarks at the event.
 
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. 

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of Naval Staff highlighted that the 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. 

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, the ISPR release added.