GLOCAL February 2014 | Page 4

Furthermore the Bangladesh-ChinaIndia-Myanmar (BCIM) regional grouping reportedly agreed to start joint research to find ways to The officials also reached consensus on cooperation in transportation infrastructure, investment, commerce and trade, cultural and people-topeople exchanges and other areas. Bangladesh‘s access to the Indian Ocean through the Bay of Bengal is strategically and commercial important. All exports and imports are carried by ships through the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean and the sea lanes are protected by naval powers of India, US, China and other powers which regularly monitor the security of the Indian Ocean. 2 In the proposed New Silk-Road/ Economic Corridor linking Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and China, Bangladesh is an integral component of that interconnectivity. The pivotal reasoning behind the New Silk Road is that economic incentives will reinforce close political cooperation and long-term stabilization. establish their dream ―economic corridor‖ among the countries. The decision was adopted at the first official-level joint working group meeting at Kunming (Yunnan province) on December 19 2013. Page and reformist Myanmar and is a near neighbour to China, Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh is a physical conduit between South and South East Asia. I Ё