Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus will attend the sixth BIMSTEC summit, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on September 4.
A senior official at the foreign ministry confirmed to Dhaka Tribune that the chief adviser will go to Bangkok on September 3 and return to Bangladesh on September 5.
This will be his first foreign visit after taking charge of the interim government on August 8 following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as the prime minister on August 5 amidst students’ protest.
BIMSTEC stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, and it includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as member states.
Established on June 6, 1997, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration, BIMSTEC is the only organization, which brings together five countries from South Asia and two countries from Southeast Asia.
Together they account for 22% of the world population, and combined GDP is $4.5 trillion.
Following a decision at the Third BIMSTEC Summit in 2014, the BIMSTEC Secretariat was established in Dhaka, in that same year, providing an institutionalized framework for deepening and enhancing cooperation.
Seven countries lead seven sectors – Bangladesh leads trade, investment and development, including blue economy, while Bhutan leads environment and climate change, including mountain economy, India leads security, including energy and disaster management, Myanmar leads agriculture and food security, including fisheries and livestock, Nepal leads people-to-people contact, including poverty alleviation, Sri Lanka leads science, technology and innovation, including health and human resource development, and Thailand connectivity.
After the summit, Bangladesh will take up the role of the chairmanship.
“I believe BIMSTEC has a bright future. All the members are truly committed to making sure BIMSTEC becomes a success story,” Secretary General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey told diplomatic correspondents recently.
The Summit will adopt a Bangkok Vision 2030 which would be a significant outcome, he had also said.
Besides, the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation is expected to be signed at the Summit.
