Global Trends 2026
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) organized a roundtable titled “Global Trends 2026” on 26 January 2026, moderated by Maj Gen A N M Muniruzzaman, ndc, psc (Retd), President of BIPSS. Every year in January BIPSS organises this roundtable to analyse and examine the key global trends that are likely to shape the year ahead. This year’s roundtable featured three distinguished panelists, Dr. Saima Ahmed from the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University, Mr Parvez Karim Abbasi, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, East West University and Executive Director, Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) and Mr. Shafqat Munir, Senior Research Fellow at BIPSS.
In their remarks, Dr. Saima Ahmed highlighted the return of national interest–driven politics and the weakening of multilateralism, while Mr. Parvez Karim Abbasi emphasized geo-economic competition centered on critical minerals, digitalization, and financial fragmentation. Mr. Shafqat Munir focused on the rise of a new technological order marked by hybrid warfare, agentic AI, disinformation, and climate-linked security threats. The attendess included, Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, members of the armed forces, academics, members of civil society and media, among others.
