State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has urged BIMSTEC member states to remain committed to regional cooperation despite bilateral differences and tensions, stressing the need for mutual trust, political will and a shared sense of purpose.
“Let us not walk out of regional cooperation regardless of differences. We must have the tenacity. We must have the vision to digest difficult challenges, difficult tensions, and difficult dialogue to make regional cooperation a success with mutual trust, political will, and a shared sense of purpose,” he said while speaking at a reception on Monday night.
Secretary-General of BIMSTEC Indra Mani Pandey and Sushma Pandey hosted the reception at a hotel in Dhaka, marking the BIMSTEC Secretariat Establishment Day.
Diplomats, including representatives from the BIMSTEC countries, business leaders, civil society members, and senior journalists, were present.
Kobir said Bangladesh would work closely with all member states and the Secretariat in the coming months to advance implementation across mechanisms and prepare for the next BIMSTEC Summit, which Bangladesh is expected to host in Dhaka in 2027.
The gathering of the heads of state and government in Dhaka will provide an important opportunity to review progress, set new priorities, and provide further political direction to the common regional agenda, he said.
“For BIMSTEC to be successful, we must not dwell on bilateral tensions but widen the net of engagement,” Kobir said.
The State Minister said BIMSTEC could become an even more dynamic bridge between South and Southeast Asia and a strong force for regional peace, progress, and sustainable development.
“I am confident that BIMSTEC can become an even more dynamic bridge between South and Southeast Asia and a strong force for regional peace, progress, and sustainable development,” Kobir said.
On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh, he extended warm felicitations to the governments and peoples of all BIMSTEC member states on the occasion.
He also appreciated the BIMSTEC Secretary General and the Secretariat team for their steadfast commitment and continued service to the shared regional endeavour.
Kobir said the establishment of the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka 12 years ago was a defining step in the institutional development of the regional grouping.
Over the past 12 years, he said, the Secretariat has evolved into the central coordinating hub of BIMSTEC, supporting member states, facilitating sectoral cooperation, preserving institutional continuity and helping translate decisions of leaders and ministers into practical programmes.
“Bangladesh is proud to host this regional institution and remains committed to providing the support necessary for it to discharge its responsibilities effectively,” he said.
The State Minister said the Bay of Bengal had connected peoples of South and Southeast Asia for centuries, long before the emergence of modern regionalism.
“This Bay carried culture, knowledge, faith, and human interaction between South and Southeast Asia. BIMSTEC gives contemporary institutional form to those historic connections,” he said.
The seven BIMSTEC member states - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand - together represent a vast pool of people, resources, talent and economic potential.
“Our task is to transform this shared geography into shared prosperity,” Kobir said.
He noted that economic uncertainty, fragmented supply chains, climate change, energy insecurity, public health risks, cyber threats, transnational crime, and humanitarian challenges do not respect national borders.
“No country can address them effectively in isolation. A stronger BIMSTEC is therefore not simply desirable; it is a strategic necessity for the peace, resilience, and prosperity of our region,” he said.
Referring to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok on April 4, 2025, Kobir said it had provided renewed momentum to the regional process through the adoption of the Bangkok Vision 2030, the BIMSTEC Rules of Procedure and the report of the Eminent Persons Group.
The signing of the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation and important partnerships with international organisations also provided a stronger institutional and strategic foundation for the future, he said.
“Our responsibility now is to move decisively from adoption to implementation, from declarations to delivery,” Kobir said.
Bangladesh assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship with a clear commitment to making the organisation more functional, visible, inclusive, and, importantly, people-centred, he said.
“Our approach is guided by practical cooperation and measurable outcomes,” he said.
As the lead country for trade, investment and development, including the blue economy, Bangladesh attaches particular importance to strengthening regional economic integration, expanding connectivity, promoting sustainable use of marine resources and creating opportunities for businesses and people, Kobir said.
He said progress towards the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area remains essential.
“More than two decades after the framework agreement, our region still trades far below its potential,” he said, calling for renewed political and technical momentum to conclude constituent agreements, reduce barriers to trade, improve customs and logistics cooperation, strengthen regional value chains and create a more enabling environment for investment and enterprise.
“We should have the vision to look at an integrated economic market for the BIMSTEC region,” Kobir said.
He also highlighted the importance of the blue economy, describing the Bay of Bengal as one of the region's greatest shared assets.
“Connectivity must remain at the heart of the BIMSTEC project,” he said.
“What we now need is sustained implementation, innovative financing, and stronger engagement with the private sector and our development partners,” Kobir said.
He stressed that prosperity must rest on the foundation of peace and security.
Cooperation in counterterrorism, transnational crime, human trafficking, narcotics, cybersecurity, disaster management, and maritime security is therefore indispensable, he said.
“We must develop trust and strengthen our cooperation further,” Kobir said.
He also underscored the importance of people-to-people connectivity through tourism, education, culture, youth exchanges, professional networks, think-tank cooperation, innovation, and greater interaction among private sectors.
“BIMSTEC must become not only an intergovernmental process but also a living regional community,” he said.
As the current chair and host country of the BIMSTEC Secretariat, Bangladesh’s responsibility extends beyond convening meetings, Kobir said.
He described regional instruments such as BIMSTEC as important diplomatic enablers for wider regional engagement and cooperation.
“Let this anniversary be more than a celebration of the past. Let it be a renewed commitment to the future - a future in which the Bay of Bengal is peaceful, connected, resilient and prosperous, where cooperation creates opportunities for every member state and where BIMSTEC delivers practical benefits to the people it was created to serve,” he said.
He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to BIMSTEC and the Secretariat in Dhaka, saying the government deeply values the contribution of the Secretary General and his team and will continue working with all member states to strengthen the Secretariat’s capacity and institutional effectiveness.