Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday inaugurated the fifth edition of the international forum ‘Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026’, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, researchers and experts from over 100 countries.
The three-day conference, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), is being held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka from October 3 to 5.
The Prime Minister formally opened the three-day event around 10am with his address to the opening session.
More than 200 speakers, over 300 delegates and more than 1,000 participants are expected to attend the forum, including former and current heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, military experts, academics, researchers, journalists, business and investment leaders, human rights defenders, technology specialists and representatives of international development organisations.
Former Serbian President Boris Tadić and former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara are among the notable participants.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Fragments, Frontiers and Futures”, with the tagline “Navigating Power, Technology and Trust in a World Rewritten.”
The discussions will focus on major regional and global issues, including geopolitics and security, technology, trade and connectivity, climate change, human security, democracy, governance, trust, spirituality and humanity.
CGS President Zillur Rahman and Executive Director Parvez Karim Abbasi delivered the welcome remarks at the opening of the conference.
Zillur Rahman said the Bay of Bengal is becoming increasingly important in the context of maritime security and regional geopolitics.
“As a vital link between South Asia and Southeast Asia, one of the key objectives of this initiative is to explore effective solutions to the challenges and opportunities rooted in the Bay,” he said.
He said this year’s discussions would focus on geopolitics, security, trust, climate change, spirituality and humanity.
The programme includes public sessions such as plenaries, leadership forums and spotlight talks, as well as smaller invitation-only roundtables for in-depth discussions, according to the organisers.