proper use of territorial waters

Maritime affairs unit on the cards

The foreign ministry is going to create 41 posts, including that of a secretary, a DG and three directors by amending the present organogramme

After winning 1,18,813 sq. km territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone in international arbitrations over the past last few years, the government is now set to form a permanent Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) under the foreign affairs ministry to ensure their maintenance and proper use. For that, the foreign ministry is going to create 41 posts, including that of a secretary, a director general (DG) and three directors by amending the ministry's present organogramme, sources in the foreign ministry said. At present, secretary (maritime) of the foreign ministry, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, deals with maritime issues with a small staff. A senior foreign ministry official told The Independent on condition of anonymity that the secretarial committee on administrative improvement affairs had approved a proposal for the creation of 41 posts connected to the proposed MAU.“As per the proposal, the secretary will head the unit with the responsibility of establishing the country's maritime rights and coordinating programmes on the maritime boundary,” he said.
“The head of the unit will also prepare position papers to fix the maritime boundary with neighbouring countries,” he added. An action plan had been prepared for the use of the added 1,18,813 sq. km of territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone extending up to 200 nautical miles. Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives, the maritime secretary, together with officials of the ministries of fisheries and livestock, environment, shipping, energy, defence, agriculture, and foreign affairs, prepared plans to explore and exploit marine resources to boost the country's blue economy. Secretary of the foreign ministry's MAU unit, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, had said the government should chalk out plans to benefit from the use of the country's sea resources. “We can catch fish from the deep sea for exports and earn a huge amount of money every year. We can introduce ‘coastal shipping’ in the Bay of Bengal for carrying goods and passengers,” he added.

proper use of territorial waters

Maritime affairs unit on the cards

The foreign ministry is going to create 41 posts, including that of a secretary, a DG and three directors by amending the present organogramme

After winning 1,18,813 sq. km territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone in international arbitrations over the past last few years, the government is now set to form a permanent Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) under the foreign affairs ministry to ensure their maintenance and proper use. For that, the foreign ministry is going to create 41 posts, including that of a secretary, a director general (DG) and three directors by amending the ministrys present organogramme, sources in the foreign ministry said. At present, secretary (maritime) of the foreign ministry, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, deals with maritime issues with a small staff. A senior foreign ministry official told The Independent on condition of anonymity that the secretarial committee on administrative improvement affairs had approved a proposal for the creation of 41 posts connected to the proposed MAU.As per the proposal, the secretary will head the unit with the responsibility of establishing the countrys maritime rights and coordinating programmes on the maritime boundary, he said. The head of the unit will also prepare position papers to fix the maritime boundary with neighbouring countries, he added. An action plan had been prepared for the use of the added 1,18,813 sq. km of territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone extending up to 200 nautical miles. Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas directives, the maritime secretary, together with officials of the ministries of fisheries and livestock, environment, shipping, energy, defence, agriculture, and foreign affairs, prepared plans to explore and exploit marine resources to boost the countrys blue economy. Secretary of the foreign ministrys MAU unit, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, had said the government should chalk out plans to benefit from the use of the countrys sea resources. We can catch fish from the deep sea for exports and earn a huge amount of money every year. We can introduce coastal shipping in the Bay of Bengal for carrying goods and passengers, he added.