Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the BIMSTEC member states to take pragmatic and realistic approaches to setting its targets which are attainable.
“Poverty alleviation should remain as an overarching goal as all economic gains will be meaningless without it,” she said, addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation [BIMSTEC] Secretariat yesterday.
This is the first headquarters of any inter-governmental organisation in Dhaka.
About food security and employment, Hasina said a large segment of the region’s population depended on agriculture and fisheries.
“A key element of our engagement should focus on intensified cooperation in this area.”
The prime minister lamented that although the framework agreement on BIMSTEC free trade area was signed in 2004, it was yet to be operational.
“It would be a significant step towards a meaningful economic integration of our region,” she said.
Connectivity was critical for economic integration and improved road and railway linkage would substantially contribute to greater trade and facilitate the movement of people, she added.
The premier said the region had huge hydro-power potential in the Himalayan basin and hydrocarbon potential in the Bay and Bengal.
“It is unacceptable that we should continue facing energy shortages,” she said.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said improved connectivity could transform the regional bloc into a dynamic body.
He said Bangladesh initiated the blue economy outlook and BIMSTEC member states could bilaterally or multilaterally tap resources in the Bay of Bengal.
BIMSTEC Secretary General Sumith Nakandala said political will from the member states was a must to make the organisation successful.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the members of the bloc.
BIMSTEC started its journey in 1997 with only four participating members and six areas of cooperation, but now it had expanded to seven members and fourteen areas of cooperation.
The first summit of the BIMSTEC was held in Bangkok in 2004 while the second summit in New Delhi in 2008 and the third one was held in Nay Pyi Taw this year.
The forum had established a platform for intra-cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN members.
During the 13th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw in 2011, it was unanimously decided that the secretariat would be set up in Bangladesh and the first secretary general would be appointed from Sri Lanka.
Eventually, the government allocated a residential house in Gulshan area and proper restructuring and reorganising had been done to give it an official shape.
The secretariat has been in operation since July this year.
First Secretary General Nakandala joined the secretariat in late July and assumed office in August.
