Profile

Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam is a distinguished maritime expert and former Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh. With over 52 years of extensive experience in ocean-related fields, including 38 years in the Bangladesh Navy, he has served in senior leadership roles nationally and internationally.

He has represented Bangladesh at the United Nations and other international maritime forums for decades, particularly on matters relating to the Law of the Sea, maritime delimitation, Blue Economy, piracy suppression, marine pollution, and ocean governance. He served as Deputy Agent in the maritime boundary disputes between Bangladesh and Myanmar at ITLOS and Bangladesh and India at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, contributing to the expansion of Bangladesh’s maritime area in the Bay of Bengal.

He has been elected President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (2016) and President of the Council of the International Seabed Authority (2020). He is also an active Senate Member of Bangladesh Maritime University and has served in multiple academic and policy advisory roles.

• Masters in Philosophy (Marine Science, Policy and Law – Teaching Module)
  National Oceanography Centre
  Southampton, United Kingdom
  2002–2003
• Graduation as PSC | International Laws of the Sea, Maritime Laws
  Royal Naval Staff College
  Greenwich, United Kingdom
  1982–1983
• Global Communication Specialization Course
  Italian Naval Academy
  Livorno, Italy
  1979–1980
• Graduation as Commissioned Naval Officer
  Indian Naval Academy
  Kochi, India
  1973–1974
• National Security and Strategy Course
  National Defence College (NDC)
  New Delhi, India
  2000–2001

• April 2025 – Present
  Director
  Centre for the Bay of Bengal Studies
  Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)
• December 2024 – Present
  Chairman
  National Oceanographic and Maritime Institute (NAOMI)
• January 2009 – October 2024
  Secretary, Maritime Affairs Unit
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh

Key responsibilities included:

• Leading negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation with India and Myanmar.
• Head of Bangladesh Continental Shelf Technical Team for submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UN CLCS).
• Deputy Agent in maritime boundary dispute cases at ITLOS and Permanent Court of Arbitration.
• Updating the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act 1974 in line with UNCLOS (2021).
• Preparing Blue Economy Action Plan (2020–2030).
• Coordinating piracy suppression activities with national and international agencies.
• Representing Bangladesh at State Parties meetings on the Law of the Sea since 2005.
• Participating in negotiations of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and contributing to its ratification (2024).
• Elected President of the Assembly (2016) and Council (2020) of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

• December 2020 – November 2022
  Chairman
  Mongla Port Authority

Led port governance, strategic maritime management, operational efficiency, ISPS Code compliance, navigability improvements, and infrastructure development.

• June 1973 – June 2008
  Rear Admiral (Retired)
  Bangladesh Navy

Served in various command and leadership roles including Director of Naval Operations, Signals, and Plans; Naval Secretary; Defence Adviser (Bangladesh High Commission, Malaysia); Fleet Commander; and Naval Area Commander (Chattagram, Khulna, Dhaka).

Participated in international naval exercises, disaster relief operations, maritime security operations, and strategic naval planning. Introduced the FLEETEX series as Fleet Commander.

Books:

1. Bangladesh’s Maritime Challenges in the 21st Century (2004), Pathak Samabesh.
2. The Boundless Sea: Maritime Developments and their Impact on Bangladesh (2021), Graphosman.
3. Utilization of Marine Resources for the Benefit of Bangladesh (2024), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Selected Journal Articles and Policy Publications:

• “Major Opportunities of Blue Economy Development in Bangladesh” (2018), Journal of the Indian Ocean.
• “Introduction to the Special Issue on the Blue Economy of Bangladesh” (2019), Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics.
• “Policy Intervention for the Development of Blue Economy in Bangladesh” (2019), Journal of Ocean and Coastal Estuaries.
• “Seismic Characterisation and Modelling of Gas Hydrate System in the Northern Bay of Bengal” (2022), Marine and Petroleum Geology (Elsevier).
• “Strengthening Bangladesh’s Maritime Security through the Development of Blue Economy” (2024).
• “Maritime Boundary Dispute and Oil and Gas Exploration of Bengal” (2008), The Daily Star.

Additional internal research and policy reports on Blue Economy, submarine cable protection, seaweed cultivation, blue biotechnology, and maritime SMEs.

• International Law of the Sea
• International Humanitarian Law and Law of Armed Conflict at Sea
• Blue Economy
• Maritime Governance and Strategy
• Maritime Delimitation
• Marine Resource Management
• Ocean Science and National Accounts

Bangladesh Diplomatic Gold Medal (2020) for contributions to maritime boundary settlement and Blue Economy development.

Indian President’s Gold Medal (1974) during naval training at Indian Naval Academy.

Commendation Letter from Royal Naval Staff College, UK (1984).

Letter of Commendation from Chief of Naval Staff for disaster relief and ship recovery operations.

Represented Bangladesh in UN Ocean Conferences (including Samoa, France, Portugal).

Participated in ASEAN ARF regional forum meetings on maritime safety and security.

Active participant in international negotiations on Law of the Sea and Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

• Active Senate Member, Bangladesh Maritime University.
• Elected Chairperson, IOC Subcommission for the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO).
• Member, Finance Committee of International Seabed Authority.
• Former Syndicate Member, Khulna Engineering University.
• Member, Chattagram Stock Exchange.
• Director, Janata Bank Ltd and Board Member, Bangladesh Airlines.
• Adjunct Faculty at multiple academic institutions including University of Dhaka (Oceanography), Stamford University, Eastern University, National Defence College, Defence Services Command and Staff College, Armed Forces Warfare College, Foreign Service Academy, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, Bangladesh Planning Academy, Bangladesh Civil Service Academy, and Law and Justice Academy, Dhaka.