Preserving the Bay of Bengal: A Legal Framework and Human Rights Probe of Bangladesh’s Maritime Environment

Abstract

The Bay of Bengal is a vital confluence of natural diversity and human lives, renowned for its vast area, strategic location and ecological significance. In the Bay of Bengal, the maritime environment and marine resources play a critical role in sustainable development and human rights, yet it faces significant problems due to maritime environmental deterioration and human rights violations. This research paper explores safeguarding Bangladesh’s maritime environment in the Bay of Bengal while also protecting human rights in light of enormous challenges, along with the convoluted connection between international and national laws and maritime environmental protection measures, highlighting inadequacies in their application for sustainable management of marine resources and human rights. This paper examines environmental deterioration caused by pollution, rising sea levels, climate change and maritime conflicts, focusing on the impact on coastal populations and investigating humanity’s dilemma. Protection gaps and barriers to legal enforcement are examined, exposing limits in realizing maritime human rights. Their rights to health, food security and water are jeopardized by climate change and unsustainable practices. In the current laws, a hiatus exists between legal principles and their practical application. This paper has an extensive proposal multifaceted approach and consolidating fragmented laws, defining jurisdictional borders, strengthening enforcement and harmonizing national legislation with international maritime environmental and human rights standards. This paper concludes that safeguarding the Bay of Bengal is not just an environmental imperative but also a human rights obligation. To ensure the Bay of Bengal thrives as an ecological richness of maritime activities and human rights, it is essential to align the balance in the field of protecting the maritime environment and human rights.