Last week, on April 8, 2025, Dr. Marion Glaser and further ZMT delegates had the pleasure to visit the Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 2018, BIMRAD is a non-profitable think tank and venture-based institute for research and development in the maritime sector, leading research on topics such as blue economy, maritime security, marine ecology and conservation, marine renewable energy, climate change, and many more. Our delegation was received by BIMRAD's Director General, Commodore Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad, (C), NUP, ndc, afwc, psc of Bangladesh Navy (BN) (retd), and further BIMRAD officials who have already been involved in previous ZMT activities under the "SoNG Support Project" in Bangladesh.
The highlight of the meeting was the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BIMRAD and ZMT. This agreement represents a significant step in establishing a formal and promising partnership between the two institutes, aligning with ZMT's goals of fostering international collaboration to advance crucial research and academic endeavors in tropical marine science. ZMT particularly values the emphasis on marine social sciences, data and modelling, and sustainable ocean governance within this partnership, as these areas are central to our interdisciplinary approach.
During the discussions, ZMT representatives conveyed their strong commitment to a sustained, long-term collaboration with BIMRAD. Key areas of mutual interest, such as Marine Protected Area (MPA) management, climate change impact assessments, and capacity-development initiatives, offer concrete avenues for impactful joint research, valuable exchange programs, and productive technical collaboration. ZMT recognizes BIMRAD's increasing significance within the maritime research landscape of the Bay of Bengal region and expresses considerable optimism regarding the potential for impactful interdisciplinary cooperation that will contribute meaningfully to evidence-informed marine policy and the achievement of sustainable development goals in this vital region.
In the framework of the "SoNG" project, the ZMT team is currently in Bangladesh to conduct a pilot training for responsible and evidence-informed management of MPAs, together with GIZ Bangladesh. They will also attend the International Conference on “Marine Spatial Planning for Advancing Sustainable Blue Growth”, hosted by the Department of Oceanography at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet from April 15-16, 2025.
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