DELVING DEEPER: BRANDING BANGLADESH THROUGH MARITIME STRATEGY

Abstract

The relationship between branding and maritime strategy are mutually inclusive,
for they strive to attain one common aim: national greatness. In this context, the
sustainable development debate of Bangladesh needs to be structured objectively
that demands resource consolidation in such a way that the ways, means and ends
are balanced. The maritime strategy of total response needs to be conceived as
an environment friendly growth-driver on one hand and to become the facilitator
of national greatness on the other. RMG being number one export sector is less technology intensive leading to lower wages. Currently other growth-drivers
such as agriculture, remittance, manufacturing and services alone are not capable
of value addition to alleviate poverty. Since maritime strategy has the adaptive
capacity “as a total response strategy” to integrate other strategies; the entire
perspective needs to be considered as dynamic and continuously updated and
validated through strategic analysis models like “strategy” and “ends” models.
Bangladesh needs to envision the tremendous potentials of its marine sector:
92% of international trade, 35% of Maritime Dependency Factor (MDF) and
the growth drivers’. Therefore, considering the value added maritime sector for
the compounding economic growth of Bangladesh, the government needs to
formulate an ‘integrated maritime policy’ and building thereupon a ‘maritime
strategy of total response’ interfacing all sectors and the maritime clusters;
prioritizing and diversifying the exports within the SDG goals keeping the
concept of branding Bangladesh through maritime strategy in sight to attain
higher GDP - investment ratio and GDP growth as a prerequisite to achieve
vision 2021, subsequently the SDG 2030 goals and vision 2041.