The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) celebrated 22 years of its establishment on Tuesday, but the organization remains ineffective and has failed to achieve even the minimum objectives.
Officials concerned have put the blame mainly on mistrust and lack of political will among the member states of the organization, headquartered in Dhaka.
However, they also stressed that Bangladesh has always played a proactive role, with the aim of making the seven- member Bimstec successful.
The organization is comprised of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. About 21% of the global population (1.7 billion people) reside in the member states of the regional organization.
Bimstec was established in 1997 with the aim of facilitating cooperation between member states to accelerate economic and social development. However, there has been hardly any visible progress in the pursuit of these objectives in more than two decades.
The establishment of the body’s headquarters in Dhaka in 2014, after 17 years, is a testament to Bangladesh’s determination to see Bimstec achieve the goals for which it was incepted.
In the last 22 years, Bimstec has failed to frame a charter of its own. The organization has been unable to enact a free trade agreement (FTA), despite the member states having signed a framework agreement in 2006. Even though about two dozen meetings have been held in this regard, the FTA is yet to be implemented.
The 17 year delay in the establishment of a headquarters and inability to enact the FTA reflect the poor state of Bimstec in terms of functionality and effectiveness, officials said.
When contacted, Bimstec’s Bangladeshi Secretary General Shahidul Islam on Wednesday told Dhaka Tribune: “It is no secret that we have not been able to achieve what we wanted to, and there are various reasons behind the situation.
“However, I feel the Bimstec member states have started to realize the potential of the organization now, and things will get better in the coming days,” he added.
Regarding the framing of the Bimstec charter, Shahidul, who has served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador in South Korea and France, said: “The draft has been circulated among the members, and they are not examining it.”
A top official of the Foreign Ministry said: “Our member states are linked with shared history and heritage, but there is also mistrust between them. It will take some time for this mistrust to go away.”
He added that there has been a lack of political will and genuine desire to move the organization forward from member states, and things will get better as this is addressed.
Meanwhile, speaking as the chief guest at a function to celebrate 22 years of Bimstec, held at its secretariat on Tuesday evening, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the regional body represents a unique connectivity between South and South-East Asia.
“Bimstec provides a strong platform to collectively ensure the peace and development of this region,” he said.
“Bangladesh has been deeply committed to the Bimstec process since its inception. Pursuing Bimstec integration for rapid economic and social progress for the people of this region is one of the top priorities in our foreign policy. Hosting the Bimstec Secretariat in Dhaka is a manifestation of her commitment to Bimstec,” said the foreign minister.
“When Bimstec was established 22 years ago, there were high hopes and ambitions and Bimstec was considered a bridge between South and South-East Asian countries, a useful mechanism to promote increased cooperation, trade and investment between the member states of this region,” he said, urging all parties to work harder to ensure the development of the region.
