Regional integration is not only about infrastructure. It is about people. It requires a feeling of belonging -- a common identity. The Bay of Bengal region does not yet have that. Its countries differ widely in political systems, economic capacity, governance standards, and historical experience.
International law appears to bind only the weak nations but not the powerful, mighty ones. Afghanistan, Gaza, Guantanamo Bay, and targeted actions against foreign leaders all show how rules can be bypassed without consequence.
If the UN cannot prevent wars, cannot restrain powerful states, or even name the aggressors, then the world must confront an uncomfortable question: Is the United Nations still fulfilling its founding mission?