Regional Cooperation in Port Development to Bolster Maritime Logistics Services in South Asia

South Asia has emerged as an industrial power of the world because of its recent purchasing capacity and acting as big supplier of ready-made garments (RMG). In addition, huge remittance toward South Asia from the outer world has increased the capacity of purchase that increased the import of raw materials and finished products inevitably. On the other hand, China is the supplier of maximum raw materials of South Asia and the coordinator of RMG trade in the global market. In here, to facilitate the RMG and other international trade, the role of seaport is outstanding and playing a vital role to simplify the import and export of all South Asian countries predictably. Recent developments of Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) and Bangladesh-ChinaIndia-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor will help the region to develop their transport logistics sector brightly. Having in mind, the surface transport networks including port facilities in South Asia remains fragmented due to historical, political, and economic reasons that resulted connectivity problems. Therefore, regional connectivity is highly depends on the port and inland transport network development for ensuring maritime logistics services timely and economically. This paper aims to find out the ways to increase the regional cooperation for port development in the aim of bolstering the maritime logistics services to facilitate the export and import trade of all countries of South Asia. In addition, the geographical advantages of Bangladesh's principal port "Chittagong" are described as key maritime load centre in the Bay of Bengal for Maritime Silk Road (MSR) under the initiative of China for implementing Belt and Road (B&R) or "One Belt, One Road (OBOR)".