In a world increasingly divided by politics, conflict, and misinformation, the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2024 in Dhaka stood as a rare space for dialogue, empathy, and collective vision. Representing the Academy of Analytics and Research (AARes) at this year’s forum was not merely an opportunity to attend a conference — it was an immersion into the very pulse of our fractured world.
The three-day event, organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), gathered voices from over 80 countries — former heads of state, Nobel laureates, diplomats, economists, journalists, and civil society leaders — to debate, question, and reimagine the global order. With the central theme “A Fractured World”, discussions spanned across critical pillars: freedom of the press and the fight against misinformation, green energy and climate change, global trade and economic shifts, human rights, and the evolving geopolitical landscape.
As a participant from AARes, I was particularly drawn to the sessions on climate resilience, development economics, and information integrity — three areas where data, policy, and people intersect most urgently. Listening to Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus speak on redefining capitalism for human welfare and to global leaders like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Jorge Quiroga emphasize the need for moral leadership, I was reminded that the Bay of Bengal region is not merely a geographic entity — it is a living laboratory for how the Global South can lead the next wave of sustainable transformation.
Throughout the conversation, one message echoed across panels and corridors: the future belongs to those who collaborate beyond borders. The region’s shared challenges — from sea-level rise to digital disinformation — cannot be solved in isolation. For institutions like AARes, this calls for deeper engagement in cross-border research, evidence-based policy dialogue, and youth-driven analytical innovation.
The Academy of Analytics and Research was founded on the belief that informed analysis can drive societal change. The Bay of Bengal Conversation reaffirmed that belief. It reminded us that ideas must move from conference halls to classrooms, from policy papers to public action. It strengthened our resolve to build research collaborations that connect Bangladesh’s policy community with global networks of innovation and integrity.
In the end, the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2024 was not just a discussion — it was a declaration. It declared that amid global uncertainty, Bangladesh and its thinkers have a voice, a vision, and a responsibility. As I left the Sonargaon conference hall in Dhaka, I carried not only notes and contacts but a renewed conviction: that analytics, when paired with empathy, can become the most powerful tool of diplomacy and development.
At AARes, we intend to keep that conversation alive.