Leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) are set to sign the BIMSTEC Charter at the 5th Summit that began in Sri Lankan capital city on Wednesday morning. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are joining the Summit, hosted by current BIMSTEC chair Sri Lanka in virtual mode, from Dhaka and New Delhi respectively. BIMSTEC Convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters will be signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice or the nominated signatories of the BIMSTEC Member States. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is leading a Bangladesh delegation at the Summit in person. Read: Bangladesh seeks Thailand’s support to get connected with Trilateral Highway project Momen said Bangladesh is committed to the security and stability of the region within the framework of BIMSTEC Convention on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime and annual Consultation Mechanism of BIMSTEC National Security Advisors Forum. "I am happy to note that our leaders will be approving and watching the signing of the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit," he said. The foreign minister said senior officials’ meeting held on Monday recommended some important documents for consideration and onward recommendation to the Summit. "BIMSTEC Charter is one of them which will place the organization’s activities on a more structured and rule based platform," Momen said.

The 5th BIMSTEC Summit, preceded by the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting, is proposed to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in the first half of January 2021 subject to the improved COVID situation. 

The 21st session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) comprising Foreign Secretaries of the BIMSTEC Member States will be held virtually in Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 2 with a possibility to hold the next Summit virtually if the pandemic situation does not improve.