Two-day Int'l Workshop on MDA in Indian Ocean opens in city

A two-day international workshop titled "Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean" was inaugurated on Monday at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka 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. Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD) and the National Security College (NSC) of the Australian National University (ANU) jointly organized the workshop, focusing on MDA analytical and information sharing techniques, reports BSS.

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.