Draft:Exclusive economic zone of Bangladesh
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The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Bangladesh is a maritime area in the Bay of Bengal over which Bangladesh exercises sovereign rights for the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources, both living and non-living, and for other economic activities. This zone extends up to 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from Bangladesh's baselines, encompassing not only the water column but also the seabed and subsoil beneath it, along with rights to the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles where applicable.[1]
History
[edit]Even before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) formally codified the EEZ concept in 1982,[2] Bangladesh was among the first developing nations to unilaterally declare an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) through its Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act of 1974,[3] which included Bangladesh's jurisdiction over a 200-nautical-mile zone and the continental shelf.[2]
The concave shape of Bangladesh's coastline in the Bay of Bengal led to complex overlapping claims and prolonged disputes with neighboring India and Myanmar, complicating the full realization of its maritime entitlements for decades.[4]
Bangladesh-Myanmar resolved disputes
[edit]Bangladesh successfully resolved its maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar through a judgment delivered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 14 March 2012.[5] The tribunal's decision, the first maritime boundary case heard by ITLOS, allocated approximately 70,000 square kilometers of sea area to Bangladesh, extending its EEZ and continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal.[6][7] This ruling was particularly significant as ITLOS adjusted the equidistance line to account for Bangladesh's concave coastline, preventing a disproportionate cut-off of its maritime entitlement.[5]
Bangladesh-India resolved disputes
[edit]Subsequently, Bangladesh resolved its maritime boundary dispute with India through an award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on 7 July 2014.[8][9] The PCA tribunal awarded Bangladesh 19,467 square kilometers out of a total disputed area of 25,602 square kilometers in the Bay of Bengal.[9] This landmark judgment further solidified Bangladesh's sovereign rights over its EEZ and continental shelf, securing its access to the open sea and allowing it to pursue resource exploration with greater certainty.[10] Both nations accepted the rulings, marking a new era of maritime cooperation in the region.[8]
Present extant
[edit]Following the resolution of its maritime boundary disputes, Bangladesh gained sovereign rights over a significant maritime area. The total sea area under Bangladesh's jurisdiction, including its territorial sea and continental shelf rights, now amounts to over 118,813 square kilometers, which is approximately 80% of its land area.[10][11]
Economy
[edit]This EEZ contains significant potential for hydrocarbon deposits,[12] a wide variety of fish and shellfish species with estimated annual sustainable yield of pelagic fish and shrimp from Bangladesh's EEZ is about 389,000 metric tons.[13]
Bangladesh's EEZ also holds potential for deep-sea minerals such as cobalt, manganese, copper, and nickel, and marine organisms are being explored for their biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications.[12]
Issues
[edit]Despite the successful delimitation of its EEZ, Bangladesh faces several challenges in effectively managing and utilizing this vast marine area.
Illegal fishing
[edit]One significant issue is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by foreign vessels, which depletes fish stocks and causes economic losses for Bangladesh.[14] Limited surveillance and enforcement capabilities hinder effective monitoring of the entire EEZ.[14]
Environmental degradation
[edit]Environmental degradation is another critical concern, with pollution from land-based sources, maritime traffic, and offshore activities impacting marine ecosystems and biodiversity within the EEZ.[15]
Climate change
[edit]Climate change, leading to sea-level rise and increased frequency of cyclones, also poses long-term threats to coastal areas and marine resources.[16] Furthermore, the lack of sufficient technological infrastructure, scientific expertise, and investment capital presents hurdles for comprehensive exploration and sustainable exploitation of deep-sea resources.[12]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bangladesh – MSPGLOBAL2030". MSPGLOBAL2030. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b Mohiuddin, Md. Shahjahan. "Resolution of the Maritime Boundaries Dispute Between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal" (PDF). United Nations. pp. 44–47. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974 (Act No. XXVI of 1974)". Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Bangladesh. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ Hasan, S. A. (2010). "Maritime Boundary of Bangladesh" (PDF). ETH Zurich. pp. 82–84. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b "International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea issues judgment in Bangladesh/Myanmar". Herbert Smith Freehills. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ Duenkel, Arndt (2015-10-19). "The Bangladesh/Myanmar Maritime Dispute: Lessons for Peaceful Resolution". Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "Bangladesh–Myanmar Maritime Boundary". Sovereign Limits (International Mapping). Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh wins sea border dispute with India". Al Jazeera. 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh/India Maritime Boundary Arbitration (The Tribunal renders its Award)". Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b Islam, Rafiqul (2017-12-28). "Bangladesh's vast sea territory: A new era of prosperity". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "Exclusive Economic Zone of Bangladesh". Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b c Akter Hasan, The Prospects and Challenges before Bangladesh in Exploring and Exploiting Marine Resources: An Economic and Legal Study, Open Journal of Social Sciences, vol 3, issue 9, pages=192–200, date=2015-09-17
- ^ Mujtaba, Shah Iqbal (2020-04-27). "RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF BANGLADESH EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE (EEZ) – A CASE STUDY OF PELAGIC RESOURCES". NDC e-Journal. 1 (1). Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b Sarker, M. A. R. (2019). "Challenges and Prospects of Blue Economy in Bangladesh". Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University. 17 (1): 112–120. doi:10.22004/ag.econ.300067.
- ^ Kabir, Md. M. M.; Roy, Soumitra; Hasan, Md. S. (2020). "Marine Pollution in Bangladesh: An Overview of Sources, Impacts and Mitigation Strategies". Journal of Coastal Research. 36 (6): 1295–1302. doi:10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-19-00109.1 (inactive 16 July 2025).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link) - ^ Paul, Bimal K.; Rashid, Harun (2017). Springer, Cham. pp. 23–40. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-51909-0_2 (inactive 16 July 2025). ISBN 978-3-319-51908-3.
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