Maritime expert flags unresolved grey areas in India-Bangladesh bay boundary

Maritime expert Joshua Alexander has said India and Bangladesh have unresolved ‘grey areas’ in their Bay of Bengal maritime boundary where the two countries have jurisdiction over different parts of the same area, Bangladesh over the seabed and India over the water column, making practical management impossible without bilateral agreement. Alexander, founder of Australian consultancy Maritime Frontiers who advised the Bangladeshi government on maritime issues from 2009 to 2021, told The Hindu that the two countries have yet to find a way to cooperate in these resource-rich zones.

Separately, an article in India Narrative, cited by The Hans India, argues that viewing India-Bangladesh ties primarily through land-border concerns limits strategic imagination and that New Delhi should instead adopt a maritime-centred relationship encompassing connectivity, energy cooperation and competition with China’s growing Bay of Bengal presence. The article urges India to respond with strategic seriousness, offering timely and transparent projects, rather than seeking exclusive alignment from Bangladesh.

Alexander spoke during a visit to Dhaka in October 2026. He credited the deposed Hasina government for security measures that reduced piracy near Chittagong port, which was among the world’s most insecure in 2006.