SAARC and BIMSTEC complement each other: Shama Obaed
State minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said that SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) complement each other and can function effectively side by side.
She believes that both platforms can contribute to the development of Bangladesh as well as the countries and people of the region.
The state minister made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after a seminar held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital on Monday afternoon.
The seminar, titled ‘Three Decades of BIMSTEC: Advancing Regional Cooperation for Shared Prosperity’, was organised by BIISS.
Shama Obaed said SAARC was the vision of the late President Ziaur Rahman. He had initiated the organisation to enhance regional connectivity, expand trade and commerce, and improve the quality of life of people in South Asia. However, that initiative has largely lost momentum, she said.
“Now that the BNP government has assumed office through a mandate from the people, we will certainly take steps to revitalise SAARC. This commitment is also included in our election manifesto. We want to ensure that the people, governments and economies of Bangladesh and the other member states benefit through SAARC,” she said.
Speaking about BIMSTEC, the state minister said it is definitely an important platform for multilateral cooperation. As several BIMSTEC member states are not part of SAARC, she said the two organisations complement each other and can operate effectively in parallel. According to her, both SAARC and BIMSTEC can play a significant role in advancing the development of Bangladesh and the wider region.
The seminar was organised at a time when Bangladesh holds the current chairmanship of BIMSTEC. Its objective was to initiate information-based policy discussions on strengthening regional cooperation for shared prosperity.
The seminar was chaired by Major General (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS). BIISS research director Mahfuz Kabir presented the keynote paper, while BIISS director general Major General ASM Ridwanur Rahman delivered the welcome address.
The panel discussion featured Professor Rasheduzzaman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka and Professor Kazi Maruful Islam, director of the Centre on Budget and Policy at Dhaka University.
Addressing the seminar as the chief guest, Shama Obaed Islam reaffirmed Bangladesh's strong commitment to BIMSTEC and to building the Bay of Bengal region into a peaceful, resilient and prosperous area. She stressed the importance of translating regional commitments into concrete actions through effective implementation, practical cooperation and stronger institutional frameworks.
She also highlighted Bangladesh's commitment, as the current chair of BIMSTEC, to promoting economic integration, connectivity, trade, investment, the blue economy and people-centred regional cooperation.
Alongside, she expressed the determination to work closely with all member states to achieve the organisation's shared objectives.
In his address as the special guest, BIMSTEC secretary-general Indra Mani Pandey outlined the organisation's ongoing projects and initiatives in a wide range of areas, including women's development, climate change adaptation, power transmission interconnections, strengthening technical capacity in the energy sector, security cooperation to combat drug trafficking, cyber, maritime and human security, counter-terrorism and transnational crime, tourism, visa facilitation, trade and investment.