This document on the Security issues of Bangladesh covers both Traditional and Non traditional Security threats and the remedies as well. Bangladesh as a developing country faces so many security threats both from internal and external sources. As Bangladesh is considered to be the geographical victim, its necessary to be aware of the security both Military and Non-military threats. This document tries to map in a nutshell to identify the security issues.

1. WELCOME TO OUR
PRESENTATION
TITLE: TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES IN
BANGLADESH: AN ANALYSIS
Presented To: Course
Adviser
PROF. GOBINDA CHAKRABORTY,
PHD
Dept. of Political Science
University of Dhaka
Platform: Zoon
Date & Time: March 30, 2023 At: 12:00 PM
Arranged By: National University
Under CEDP Online Teachers Training Program
Batch: 30 (Online 18)
Presented By:
DR. MD. SYAM ALI KHAN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, POLITICAL
SCIENCE
NARAIL GOVT. VICTORIA COLLEGE,
NARAIL
email: khan_syam@yahoo.com
Mobile: 01721950316

2. IDEA OF SECURITY AND SECURITY THREAT
WHAT SECURITY MEANS
Security means the protection and defense of State Sovereignty including its
Citizens, Economy and Institutions against Military Attack, Cyber Attack,
Terrorism, Crime, and all forms of evil from State and Non-State Actors including
Natural Disasters. Any intimidation or coercion on the security issues is regarded
as threat.
1. Traditional or Military Security 2. Non-Traditional
or Non-Military Security
TRADITIONAL SECURITY
 State Centric
 Military Threat from External Power(s)
 Prime Concerns— 3 Securities
I. Idea of State (Sovereignty)
II. Physical Base of the State (Territory,
Resources, Population)
NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY
 Both State and Citizen Centric
 Military and Non-Military Threat from both Internal
and External
 Prime Concerns— 4 Securities of the Citizens
I. Security from fear ii. Security from
Want
Types of Security :
2

3. BANGLADESH AND ITS SECURITY ISSUES
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh emerged as an independent State in 1971. It is a small state
of nearly 56000 sq. miles. It is densely populated but enjoying
demographic dividend and economically developing and promising.
With this reality, Bangladesh faces many potential Traditional and
Non-Traditional Security Threats from both—i. External (Regional and
Global) and ii. Internal Sources.
Its basic features are—
 Geographically – Victim
 Militarily- Small Power
 Politically – Fragile Democracy
 Regionally and Globally – Active Member of many Organizations including
the UN but no Militarily Alignment.

4. TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES /
THREATS
2. MAYANMAR
i. South-East land border of 176 miles
ii. Coastal boundary of 257 miles in the South
iii.Aggressive Attitude
BANGLADESH FACES TRADITIONAL SECURITY THREATS FROM TWO SOURCES—
1. INDIA
i. Surrounded from 3 Sides—North, East and West
ii. 2566 miles of common boarder
3. Conditionally Land Locked: if the Bay of Bengal is blocked
somehow by either of the two

5. NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES /
THREATS
2. REGIONAL FACTORS/ SOURCES
i. Transnational Organized Crimes
ii. Illegal Trafficking— Women and Children
iii.Illegal Trade— Arms, Narcotics and Drugs
iv.Money Laundering
v. Push-Back Push-In— Migrants and Refugees
BANGLADESH FACES NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES / THREATS FROM 3
SOURCES—
I. GLOBAL II. REGIONAL & III. INTERNAL SOURCES
1. GLOBAL FACTORS / SOURCES
i. Systemic War— War between Super Powers (USA, CHINA, RUSSIA
etc.)
ii.Traditional War— any war between States (Russia- Ukarain)
iii. New Wars— Terrorism, Political Violence, Ethnic Conflict,
Sectarian Wars, Religious Extremism

6. NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES /
THREATS...
A. Political Polarization (ivR‰bwZK weiæ×Zv): may hamper
i.Dysfunctional Democracy
ii.Political institutions—Political System, Constitution, State Policy
iii.Decision Making
iv.Economic Activities
B. Poor Governance
i. Lack of Transparency
ii. Lack of Accountability
iii.Intellectual Decay
iv.Moral Decay
v. Corruption
3. INTERNAL FACTORS/ SOURCES
BANGLADESH FACES Internal Security Threats Primarily from 8 Sources.
They are—

7. NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES /
THREATS...
C. Natural Disasters
i. Floods
ii. Cyclones—Sidr, Aila, Fani
iii.Lightning and Thunder Bolt
iv. Earth Quake
v. Land Fall
D. Economic
i. Globalization and Open Market
ii. Narrow Export Base
iii.Unemployment
iv.Gender Inequality
E. Radical Politics
i. Islamic Militancy
ii.External Linkages

8. NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY ISSUES /
THREATS...
F.. Ecological Degradation
i. Soil Degradation—Salinity, Water Logging, Fertilizer and
Pesticides
ii.Pollution—Air, Water, Sound, Environment
iii.Deforestation
G. Proliferation of
i. Diseases— AIDS, FLU, DENGU etc.
ii.Pandemics—Corona, Ebola, Nipah Virus etc
iii. Epidemics— Cholera, Diarrhea etc.
H. Technological
i. Cyber Bullying— Race, Creed, Sex, Child
ii.Cyber Attack—Money and Security of Information

9. SURVIVAL STRATEGY
2. EXTERNAL BALANCING
i. Choosing Security Policy Options
ii. Making Military Alliance
iii.Non-Aligned Foreign Policy
iv.Following Strong Diplomacy
v. Enhancing Economic and Military Power
vi.Using Balance of Threat
vii.Showing Aggressive Attitude
BANGLADESH MAY ADOPT TWO TYPES OF SURVIVAL STRATEGIES— I.
INTERNAL & II. EXTERNAL
I. INTERNAL BALANCING
i. Power Build-up
ii. Resource Mobilization
iii. Vigilance