The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) on Friday announced that the fourth edition of its flagship international geopolitical conference, the Bay of Bengal Conversation (BoBC), will be held in Dhaka from 22 to 24 November this year.

This year’s theme — “Rivals, Ruptures, and Realignments” — reflects the shifting global order, renewed regional assertiveness, and growing uncertainty surrounding security, economy, and climate in the Bay of Bengal and beyond, according to the CGS.

Building on the success of its previous editions, BoBC 2025 will bring together 200 speakers and 800 participants from over 80 countries, including heads of government, ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, civil-military officials, business leaders, academics, journalists, and civil society actors.

As the world experiences geopolitical fragmentation and the erosion of traditional alliances, the Bay of Bengal Conversation aims to provide a south-driven platform for dialogue, insight, and collaboration.

In a fractured and polarised global environment, BoBC 2025 will serve as a critical venue to understand the recalibration of global power dynamics, explore the impacts of technological disruption, and address the intersections of climate, conflict, and connectivity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

This year’s five central agendas are - Shifting Alliances and the New Geometry of Power; Crisis Multiplied: War, Fragility, and the End of Global Stability; AI, Disinformation, and the Weaponisation of Knowledge; Economic Realignments in an Era of Sanctions, Debt, and De-risking and Climate, Borders, and Security in a Warming Bay.

The Bay of Bengal Conversation remains by invitation only, with mandatory registration for all speakers, delegates, participants and journalist, CGS said.

CGS organises the conference in cooperation with governments, international organisations, diplomatic missions, and corporate houses.

As one of South Asia’s most relevant and dynamic geopolitical gatherings, it said, BoBC 2025 promises to be a milestone event for thinkers, doers, and leaders committed to navigating a complex, fast-changing world.