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The establishment of the Saudi-led Multinational Maritime Defence Coordination marks an important evolution in the global maritime security architecture. Conceived to safeguard commercial shipping and energy routes in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, the initiative comes amid escalating attacks on merchant vessels that have disrupted one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors. Fourteen countries have already endorsed the initiative following a meeting attended by representatives from 43 countries and the European Union, underscoring the growing international recognition that securing these strategic sea lanes requires collective action.
For Bangladesh, whose economy is overwhelmingly dependent on maritime trade, this development deserves careful strategic consideration. Nearly 90 per cent of the country’s international trade by volume is transported by sea. A significant portion of exports to Europe and imports of fuel, industrial machinery, fertilisers and raw materials transits through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Disruptions along this route inevitably translate into higher freight rates, soaring insurance premiums, delayed deliveries and increased import costs, directly affecting national economic resilience.
The economic consequences are already visible. Amid persistent attacks on commercial shipping, several LNG carriers and other merchant vessels have abandoned the traditional Red Sea-Suez Canal route in favour of the much longer voyage around the Cape of Good Hope. This diversion adds thousands of nautical miles, substantially increases fuel consumption, extends transit time and escalates transportation costs. Ultimately, these additional costs are passed on to consumers through higher energy prices and inflation, particularly in import-dependent economies. For Bangladesh, maritime security begins far beyond the Bay of Bengal. The uninterrupted functioning of strategic maritime chokepoints such as Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca is essential to sustain the country’s trade, energy security and economic growth.
Unlike previous multinational arrangements, including the US-led Combined Maritime Forces, “Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN” and the European Union’s
“EUNAVFOR Operation ASPIDES”, the Saudi initiative represents a regional leadership model with strong ownership by littoral and partner states directly affected by the crisis. Rather than replacing existing mechanisms, it has the potential to complement them through enhanced regional coordination, intelligence sharing and sustained maritime presence.
Over the years, the Bangladesh Navy has evolved into a capable and professional blue-water force equipped with modern frigates, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels, maritime aviation assets and highly trained personnel. More importantly, it has accumulated invaluable operational experience through sustained participation in multinational maritime operations.
Since 2010, Bangladesh Navy warships have continuously served under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Maritime Task Force, the world’s first and only UN maritime peacekeeping naval mission. Operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, Bangladeshi warships have conducted maritime interdiction, surveillance, vessel identification, search and rescue operations and coordinated closely with advanced navies from Europe, South America and Asia. These deployments have significantly enhanced Bangladesh Navy’s proficiency in multinational command structures, interoperability and coalition operations.
Having served in the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, I have witnessed the complexities of multinational naval operations. That experience affirmed the Bangladesh Navy’s professionalism and ability to operate effectively within multinational maritime coalitions.
Bangladesh’s contribution to the Saudi-led initiative need not be confined to the deployment of warships. It can provide experienced naval officers to coalition headquarters, participate in maritime domain awareness and intelligence sharing, contribute hydrographic expertise, diving and explosive ordnance disposal teams, support humanitarian assistance and search-and-rescue operations, and actively participate in multinational exercises. Such engagement would further strengthen operational interoperability while expanding Bangladesh’s influence in regional maritime security.
Participation would also elevate Bangladesh’s naval diplomacy with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners while expanding strategic maritime cooperation across the wider Indian Ocean and Red Sea region. Enhanced cooperation could facilitate advanced professional training, technology collaboration, operational exchanges and capacity building, supporting the long-term modernisation and interoperability of the Bangladesh Navy. More importantly, it would demonstrate Bangladesh’s willingness to shoulder greater responsibility in protecting the global maritime commons upon which its own prosperity depends.
As geopolitical competition increasingly shifts towards the maritime domain, the protection of sea lines of communication has become inseparable from national economic security. For Bangladesh, safeguarding international shipping routes is not merely a naval responsibility but a strategic economic necessity. The Bangladesh Navy’s proven record in UN maritime peacekeeping, combined with its growing operational capability and strategic location at the gateway to the Bay of Bengal, places the country in a favourable position to contribute to collective maritime security beyond its immediate neighbourhood.
The Saudi-led Multinational Maritime Defence Coordination should therefore be viewed not merely as another regional security arrangement but as an opportunity for Bangladesh to protect its maritime trade, strengthen strategic partnerships and contribute to collective maritime security. The Bangladesh Navy has already demonstrated its competence in the Mediterranean under the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force. By leveraging that operational experience and its growing blue-water capabilities, Bangladesh can transform operational excellence into strategic influence. In an era when economic prosperity depends upon secure oceans, Bangladesh should not remain merely a beneficiary of maritime security: she should aspire to become a credible contributor to the security of the global maritime commons.
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The writer is a former Commodore of the Bangladesh Navy and a maritime security analyst