Bangladesh has taken over the chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) for the next two years.
1. Transition:
Bangladesh assumed the chairmanship from Thailand during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok on April 4, 2025.
2. Theme of the Summit:
The summit’s theme was “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC”, focusing on sustainable development and deeper economic integration.
Prime Minister of India announced a series of India-led initiatives for regional institution building, capacity development and youth skilling across BIMSTEC member countries
BODHI Initiative (Human Resource Development):
• Full form: BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure
• Trains 300 youth annually from BIMSTEC countries in India.
Scholarships for students at Nalanda University and Forest Research Institute.
• Annual training for young diplomats from the region
BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence:
New centres in India for:
• Disaster Management
• Sustainable Maritime Transport
• Traditional Medicine
• Agriculture Research & Farmer Training
Digital Public Infrastructure & Fintech Integration:
• Pilot study to assess digital needs of BIMSTEC countries.
• Proposal to link India’s UPI with regional payment systems for financial inclusion.
Economic Integration & Trade Facilitation:
• Establishment of BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce.
• Annual BIMSTEC Business Summit to be held in India.
• Feasibility study on local currency trade among member nations.
Regional Security & Space Cooperation:
• First-ever Home Ministers’ Meeting to be hosted by Indiahttps://www.iasjnana.com/.
• Nano-satellite Programme, ground stations, and remote sensing data sharing.
Energy & Connectivity:
• Operationalisation of BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluruhttps://www.iasjnana.com/.
• Push for electric grid interconnections to ensure energy security.
Youth, Culture & Sports Diplomacy:
• BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit, Hackathon, and Visitors Programme.
• Hosting BIMSTEC Athletics Meet (2025) and BIMSTEC Games (2027).
• BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival to promote cultural tieshttps://www.iasjnana.com/
What is BIMSTEC?
1. Formation:
Established on June 6, 1997, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Initially called the BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation) and renamed BIMSTEC after Myanmar joined in 1997.
