Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Indra Mani Pandey has underlined the leadership role of Bangladesh, the current chair of BIMSTEC.

He expressed the keenness of the BIMSTEC Secretariat to work closely with the new government of Bangladesh to strengthen and deepen regional cooperation under BIMSTEC.

The BIMSTEC chief hosted an Iftar-dinner on Monday evening, bringing together government leaders, diplomatic corps, media, academia and business communities to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan and foster regional peace and harmony.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, who attended the event, lauded BIMSTEC’s role as a vital link between South and Southeast Asia and emphasised the importance of spiritual values in building a more empathetic and integrated regional community.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat along with Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Nazrul Islam also joined the iftar.

Welcoming the guests, BIMSTEC Secretary General noted that the holy month of Ramadan teaches the universal values of self-restraint, compassion, and kindness, encouraging us to lead a virtuous life that fosters a better world.

During this time of unprecedented global turmoil, he said BIMSTEC stands as a strong regional platform where the region’s shared civilisational links and developmental aspirations allow us to contribute to the realisation of the shared BIMSTEC vision of a secure, developed, and sustainable Bay of Bengal region.

BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Its agenda for regional cooperation comprises the following: trade, investment and development, and blue economy; environment and climate change, and mountain economy; security, energy and disaster management; agriculture and food security, and fisheries and livestock; people to people contact, tourism, culture, poverty alleviation and visa matters; science, technology and innovation, health and human resource development; and connectivity.