The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was formed in June 1997 supposedly for greater regional cooperation and integration. At present, it comprises seven nations namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. With a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) close to US$2.8 trillion, the BIMSTEC region currently account for an estimated 23% of world population.
The guiding principles of the BIMSTEC are: respect for sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence; non-interference in internal affairs; peaceful co-existence and mutual benefit.
Evolution of BIMSTEC
Undoubtedly, with different levels of socio-economic development, the region is least integrated in terms of trade, investment, co-operation and people-to-people connection. It took 17 years for BIMSTEC to establish its Permanent Secretariat at Dhaka in 2014.
Inaugurated by PM Sheikh Hasina, however, the Secretariat is yet to be supported by sufficient staff and financial resources to play a more dynamic role to implement decisions and declarations of the summits. It took 8 more years for its leaders to approve BIMSTEC Charter at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Colombo on 30 March 2022, which is yet to be ratified by all the members.
Notably, the 1st Summit of Heads of Government of BIMSTEC was held in Thailand in July 2004, 7 years after its establishment. The Summit agreed to embrace a Framework of Agreement for a BIMSTEC Free Trade Area. The 2nd Summit took place in India in November 2008 which mentioned the development of co-operation in the energy sector and in the construction of BIMSTEC Energy Centre in India.
At the 3rd Summit, held in March 2014 in Myanmar, the leaders resolved to commit increased efforts in accomplishing the founding aims and purposes of BIMSTEC, and welcomed the signing of 3 BIMSTEC instruments to establish (i) BIMSTEC’s Permanent Secretariat; (ii) BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory; (iii) BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate.
The 4th Summit, held in India in 2016, focused mostly on terrorism and criminal activities. The leaders committed to expedite the signing of the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and to early ratification of the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking.
The 4th Summit in Nepal in 2018 had a theme, “Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region”. The leaders resolved “to achieve, leveraging on BIMSTEC’s unique position as a bridge linking South and Southeast Asia, an enhanced level of economic and social development in the region, and remain fully committed to consolidate and deepen cooperation among Member States towards transforming our organization into an effective platform to promote peace, prosperity and sustainability.”
BIMSTEC’s Summit declarations can be accessed at https://bimstec.org/summit-declarations-and-other-outcomes. A brief review of BIMSTEC’s evolution and assessment of its future can be found at https://indiafoundation.in/articles-and-commentaries/bimstec-evolution-and-its-future/.
BIMSTEC – A bridge between South and South East Asia
BIMSTEC attempts to act as a bridge between South and South East Asian nations and targets 7 priority sectors of regional co-operation with a distinct lead country i.e. Trade, Investment and Development (Bangladesh), Environment and Climate Change (Bhutan), Security (India), Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar), People-to-People Contact (Nepal), Science, Technology and Innovation (Sri Lanka) and Connectivity (Thailand).
By offering an institutional platform for South and South East Asian countries BIMSTEC should enable its members to establish as well as expand multimodal connectivity via road, railways, inland water transport, coastal shipping, maritime shipping, as well as ICT. Viable energy connectivity grid with interactive power exchanges may also be within the realm of the achievable.
In doing so BIMSTEC should effectively be acting as a bridge straddling South and South East Asia and be a gateway to prosperous East Asia that include China, Japan and South Korea. Therefore, it should connect the vast markets of South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia to exponentially boost trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people interactions. Thus, BIMSTEC has the potential to qualitatively transform the lives of the huge multitudes of peoples inhabiting this vast stretch of continental Asia.
However, without adequate connectivity, the prospects of a dynamic and prosperous Bay of Bengal region will remain unfulfilled. Trade and investment are perhaps the most important features of worldwide regional co-operation and connectivity. So far BIMSTEC’s intra-regional trade has been insignificant accounting for approximately 6.15 per cent of member countries’ total trade compared to ASEAN’s roughly 25 per cent in 2024.
Therefore, supporting trade simplification with a reduction of non-tariff barriers, and co-ordination of financial standards are urgently needed for BIMSTEC to make any significant headway on economic integration. Trade within BIMSTEC would also benefit from early conclusion of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which has been under negotiation since 2004.
Bangladesh a key player
Bangladesh is at the cross-road of South and South East Asia. As a founding member of the alliance, Bangladesh remains a passionate promoter of the BIMSTEC process. This is demonstrated by Hasina government’s prompt endorsement of the united proposal to set up the BIMSTEC’s permanent Secretariat in Dhaka.
At the Nepal Summit, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her address urged the member nations to make efforts jointly to develop the BIMSTEC as a more dynamic and productive organisation through restructuring the issues of collaboration into three main clusters namely, “Sustainable Development”, “Security and Stability” and “People-to- People Contact”. On several occasions, Sheikh Hasina reiterated her government’s firm commitment to promote intra-regional co-operation and integration for the common goals of growth, stability and sustainable development.
Notably, to preserve national security, the second meeting of National Security Chiefs of BIMSTEC member-nations was hosted by Bangladesh in March 2018. The meeting focussed on counter terrorism and transnational crimes and decided to invest resources to develop capacities in training and equipment. The gathering also underscored the importance of working together, information and facts-sharing for effectively dealing with emergent security threats in the region.
While addressing the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Sri Lanka in March 2022, virtually from her official residence, Ganobhaban, PM Hasina called the BIMSTEC leaders for combined efforts for tapping the full potentials to reconstruct a developed, sustainable and resilient Bay of Bengal region. The theme of the summit was, “BIMSTEC-Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies and Healthy Peoples”.
The Sri Lanka Summit took place at a time when the world was going through pandemonium due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine along with disruption of supply chains. It was crucial to find out common solutions to meet various formidable challenges. PM Hasina underscored that the forum is an appropriate mechanism that can leverage shared benefits of member nations by effectively dealing with the Ukraine tragedy and post COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
Bangladesh has been urging the BIMSTEC leaders to initiate prompt initiate prompt execution and operationalisation of all agreed decisions Like BIMSTEC FTA, BIMSTEC centres and entities like Disaster Management Centre, Energy Grid Connectivity with a view to bringing tangible benefits for the people of the region.
Bangladesh has hosted the first conference of the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) on the Future Directions of BIMSTEC on 25 January 2024 at the BIMSTEC Secretariat, Dhaka. Chaired by H.E. Mr. Soonthoorn Chaiyindeepum of Thailand, distinguished representatives from all the seven member States contributed to the meeting and discussed various issues, including the working of the BIMSTEC mechanisms.
Under the chairmanship of Bangladesh next year, BIMSTEC ought to target to conclude FTA agreement and focus on realizing progress on the BIMSTEC grid connectivity and energy security. Deeper economic integration will lead to huge benefits and help sustain development of the region. PM Hasina has reaffirmed that Bangladesh is prepared to take on more responsibilities in the BIMSTEC process after assumption of its chairmanship and make the organization more relevant.
To recap, Bangladesh has actively participated and contributed to all the five BIMSTEC summits held so far. Bangladesh has consistently emphasized the need for greater unity and solidarity among BIMSTEC member nations. As a key founding member, and presiding over trade and investment portfolio of BIMSTEC, the country looks forward to play an important role in promoting economic integration of the region.
Achille’s heal
The region is confronted with one of the biggest, most disturbing and protracted humanitarian crisis – the Rohingya crisis deliberately created by the brutal Myanmar military. Rohingyas remain the world’s largest stateless and persecuted people sheltered in makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
The previous two BRISTEC Summits held in Nepal and Sri Lanka were silent on the formidable Rohingya crisis. In the summit declarations, BIMSTEC refrained from making any reference on Myanmar’s military crackdown which the UN and others termed as “ethnic cleansing”. In fact, the Myanmar government ignored BIMSTEC’s own guiding principle which underscores “peaceful co-existence” and “mutual benefit” among the member-States.
Concluding remarks
Despite 26 years of its existence, the BIMSTEC has not accomplished much. BIMSTEC is yet to become a dynamic and vibrant alternative regional forum.
BIMSTEC’s primary goal of fostering regional co-operation for rapid economic development may be augmented if all the governments of the member-States make firm commitments, give the alliance a top priority with sufficient financial and political resources, and implement summit declarations on time.
Since global uncertainties lingers on along with emergence of complex challenges, concerted efforts at strengthening BIMSTEC economic integration and building shared identity with a planned policy remains imperative for the member nations bordering the Bay of Bengal – a strategically and economically important region with huge untapped potential.
The geographic location of Bangladesh and its friendly ties with almost all the neighbouring nations makes Bangladesh a critical player of BIMSTEC as a bridge between South and South East Asia. With its Permanent Secretariat at Dhaka and Bangladesh’s active role, it is hoped that BIMSTEC will be able to achieve its potential.
Kamal Uddin Ahmed
Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a former Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has extensively contributed to the University of Dhaka through his teaching, research, and curriculum development. Dr. Ahmed has worked as a Senate Fellow in the California State Senate, USA in 1989 and subsequently as a Japan Foundation Fellow, Japan. As a Visiting Professor, he lectured at the Yokohama National University, Japan. Dr. Ahmed has to his credit more than 45 research papers published in referred journals at home and abroad. Dr Ahmed authored State of Human Rights in Japan in the New Millennium and Bangladesh and Its Neighbours (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2008), and Reflections on Bangladesh and Global Issues (Student Ways, Dhaka, 2022). He edited a text book entitled American Political System (in Bengali) published by the University of Dhaka in 2007, and co-edited Migration and Migrants in the United States (1995). Dr Ahmed regularly contributes to Dhaka’s The Financial Express, New Age, and Daily Sun. E-mail: kamal112au@yahoo.com
