Bangladesh is developing its Bay of Bengal blue economy through a statutory framework for sustainable maritime activity, new investment priorities for fisheries and seafood, and a coastal livelihoods project in Cox’s Bazar. These measures show policy and project momentum—not proof of economy-wide growth, fully implemented plans, or improved ocean health.
What Bangladesh means by the blue economy
Bangladesh’s Maritime Zones and Maritime Zones Resources Act, 2021 defines the scope broadly: economic activity in maritime zones, sustainable exploration and use of ocean resources, and use of ocean products. Section 7F(1) says the government may make policies and work plans and implement such activities.
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The law names sustainable fisheries management, mariculture, marine tourism, marine biotechnology, marine transport, ports and harbours, shipbuilding and recycling, and renewable energy as examples. Other provisions address ocean governance, marine scientific research, and pollution control, including plastic and microplastic pollution. The legal framework establishes the intended scope; it does not, by itself, show how effectively rules are enforced or whether ecosystems have improved.
Why the maritime area matters—and what its size does not show
Bangladesh’s Perspective Plan 2041 reports an entitlement of 118,813 km² in the Bay of Bengal following maritime boundary settlements with Myanmar in 2012 and India in 2014. The plan says this area comprises territorial sea, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and continental shelf.
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That figure describes the entitlement reported in the plan; it is not a measure of active fishing grounds, available resources, current production, or the blue economy’s contribution to GDP. The sources cited here do not provide a current, comparable national series for blue-economy output, jobs, realized investment, or ecological outcomes.
What investment and policy priorities are being pursued
At a stakeholder meeting on October 13, 2025, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) reported that the Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA) discussed deep-sea fishing, mariculture, export-oriented seafood processing, aquaculture, and marine fisheries research. BIDA described deep-sea fishing as a new pillar alongside industrialization, energy hub development, and the deep-sea port.
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The meeting’s listed decisions and intended measures covered:
- Time-bound approvals and deep-sea fishing licenses for anchor investors.
- Streamlined jetty clearance in Khurushkul.
- Bond-license facilities for export-oriented seafood processing.
- Arrangements to import, process, and re-export scallop, vannamei, tuna, and salmon.
- Permits for local by-catch processing and export.
- Coastal land allocation for mariculture and electricity-tariff incentives.
- Registration of sea-going fishing boats and trawlers, with the stated aim of preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
BIDA said the meeting’s outcomes would be consolidated into an implementation roadmap. These are reported priorities and administrative steps, not evidence that every measure is operational or that investment and production targets have been met. See BIDA’s October 13, 2025 meeting account.
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How FiLEP links fisheries development to coastal livelihoods
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock lists the Fisheries Livelihood Enhancement Project in the Coastal Area of the Bay of Bengal (FiLEP) for July 2023 to May 2027, with an estimated cost of 4,245 lakh taka. The ministry page, last updated May 1, 2025, identifies five Cox’s Bazar subdistricts: Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Teknaf, Ukhiya, Maheshkhali, and Kutubdia.
The project’s stated scope connects production with local value chains and household income. It includes demonstrations of suitable aquaculture and seafood-processing technologies; value-chain improvements and marketing support for seaweed, fish, and processed products; nutrition activities; equipment distribution; and support for alternative income sources. Those are project objectives and activities, not independently evaluated livelihood or production results. Details are on the ministry’s FiLEP page.
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How to judge whether the initiatives are delivering
The initiatives are at different stages: the 2021 law sets statutory scope, the 2025 MIDA meeting reports policy priorities and intended administrative measures, and FiLEP is a time-bounded project with defined locations and activities. The cited sources do not provide comparable sector-by-sector returns or measured impacts. To assess delivery, look for evidence that distinguishes plans from implementation and reports outcomes rather than potential:
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- Implementation: whether licenses, permits, land allocations, and infrastructure clearances are actually issued and used.
- Livelihoods and local value: project results on household income, employment, processing, and market access in the targeted communities.
- Sustainability: fisheries management, vessel registration, pollution control, and evidence about ecosystem conditions.
- National performance: a consistent time series for output, jobs, investment realized, and environmental outcomes, with clear definitions of what counts as the blue economy.
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