The American Security Project (ASP) cordially invites you to an International Conference jointly organized by ASP and Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS):

  Bangladesh at a Crossroads:

A Political and Security Outlook

 Oct 1, 2013

 8:30AM to 3:00PM

The recent political impasse in Bangladesh and growing trends in militancy and terrorism raise serious concerns not only for its own stability but also the stability of the wider South Asian region. Bangladesh has long been a U.S. ally and continues to play a central role in the envisioning of American interests in Asia. Bangladesh is rich in minerals and energy potential and has been giving exploration rights to foreign countries. The US-Bangladeshi relationship becomes increasingly important as the U.S. continues to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Our panellists will look at these issues in close detail. The conference will be divided into four sessions, each lasting one hour. Each speaker has a distinguished background and has made important strides in issues relating to Bangladesh.

Click on the links below to sign up:

Session One: A Political Outlook

9:00AM-10:00AM

Session Two: Threat of Rising Militancy and Terrorism

10:15AM-11:15AM

Session Three: Bangladesh’s Economy: Prospects and Challenges

11:30AM-12:30PM

Lunch and Keynote Speaker

Heather Variava, State Department, Bangladesh Office Director

12:30PM-1:30PM

Session Four: Bangladesh and its Relationship with the Neighborhood

2:00PM-3:00PM

Join us for any or all of the sessions!

  We hope you can join us.

The conference will take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at ASP’s office, 1100 New York Ave., 7^th Floor West Tower. 

The conference will begin promptly at 9:00 AM.

Speakers will include:

Brigadier General Stephen A Cheney

Major General Muniruzzaman

Dilara Chowdhury

Elizabeth Ferris

Andrew Holland

Colonel Thomas Lynch

Manjurul Karim

Shamarukh Mohiuddin

Shafqat Munir

Aminur Rahman

Ali Riaz

Nilanthi Samaranayake

Ehsan Taqbeem

Mahfuz Ullah

Heather Variava

Check out the biographies of the panelists and moderators here

Breakfast Refreshments – 0830-0900

Introduction –  MGen Muniruzzaman & BGen Stephen A Cheney

Session One –  Bangladesh: A Political Outlook  – 0900-1000

Moderator: BGen Stephen A Cheney USMC (Ret.)

Panel:

Ali Riaz

Dr. Dilara Chowdhury

Abbas Hassan

Session one will consider the following:

• An update on the current political situation
• The current political impasse and potential for political confrontation
• Possibility of political instability
• Possible ramifications of political instability for Bangladesh and the wider region

Break – 1000-1015

Session Two – The Threat of Rising Militancy and Terrorism in Bangladesh – 1015-1115

Moderator: MGen Muniruzzaman

Panel:

Thomas Lynch

Shafqat Munir

Session two will consider the following:

• A status report and profile of existing terrorist groups in Bangladesh
• Bangladeshi terrorist outfits and their regional connections
• Is there a possibility of new linkages in the post 2014 situation in Afghanistan? Will there be a spill-over effect?
• The emergence of Hefazat-e-Islam and its impact on state and society

Break – 1115-1130

Session Three – Bangladesh’s Economy: Prospects and Challenges – 1130-1230

Moderator:  BGen Stephen A Cheney USMC (Ret.)

Panel:

Ehsan Taqbeem

Aminur Rahman

Dr. Manjurul Karim

Shamarukh Mohiuddin

Session three will consider the following:

• Is Bangladesh an emerging economic power?
• An update on Bangladesh’s readymade garments sector
• Is the country meeting international labor standards and obligations?
• US-Bangladesh bilateral trade relationship, TICFA, GSP, etc.

Lunch and Key Note Speaker – 1230-1330

Heather Variava, State Department, Bangladesh Office Director.

Session Four – Bangladesh and its Relations with the Neighborhood – 1400-1500

Moderator: Andrew Holland

Panel:

Mahfuz Ullah

Nilanthi Samaranayake

Dr. Elizabeth Ferris

Session four will consider the following:

• Regional political environment and security implications
• Impact of Climate Change on the region
• Regional cooperation and SAARC
• China’s relationship with South Asia with a special emphasis on Bangladesh
• An outlook on Indo-Bangladesh relations

The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges. For more information, visitwww.americansecurityproject.org.

Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) is a leading think tank in Bangladesh. BIPSS is focused on strategic and security issues confronting Bangladesh and the wider Asia Pacific region. Through a group of dynamic researchers, BIPSS constantly endevaours to bridge the gap between academic research and policy analysis. BIPSS also includes several constituent units including the Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research (BCTR) and Bangladesh Centre for China Studies (BCCS). 

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