BIMSTEC Summit 2026: Bay of Bengal Security & MCQs

BIMSTEC is a regional multilateral organization connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia across the Bay of Bengal littoral.

BIMSTEC was founded on 6th June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration, initially named BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation).

BIMSTEC comprises 7 nations: 5 from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and 2 from Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand).

The permanent Secretariat of BIMSTEC was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in September 2014, headed by a rotating Secretary General.

Nepal and Bhutan were officially admitted as full members at the ministerial meeting in Bangkok in February 2004, renaming the group to its current acronym.

Signed at the 5th Colombo Summit in March 2022, the BIMSTEC Charter formally came into legal effect on 20th May 2024 upon ratification by all member states.

At the Colombo Summit, the earlier 14 sectors were consolidated into 7 focused pillars, with each country leading one specific sector.

India leads the Security pillar, covering counter-terrorism, transnational crime, cyber security, and disaster management.

Bangladesh leads the trade and economic development pillar, focusing on concluding the long-awaited BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Thailand leads the connectivity sector, driving road, maritime, and air transit integration connecting ASEAN with South Asia.

Funded by India, the Kaladan project provides an alternative maritime and riverine transport corridor to landlocked Northeast Indian states.

The IMT Trilateral Highway anchors India's Act East Policy, providing direct overland road freight connectivity into mainland Southeast Asia.

The BIMSTEC Energy Centre is hosted at the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) campus in Bengaluru to coordinate regional electricity grid interconnections.

The Grid Interconnection MoU facilitates cross-border transmission of surplus hydropower from Bhutan and Nepal to India, Bangladesh, and beyond.

Sri Lanka leads the science and technology pillar, coordinating technology transfer facilities and healthcare research.

Formulated with Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical support, the master plan creates a seamless logistics network across the Bay of Bengal.

BIMSTEC bridges 1.8 billion citizens with a combined gross domestic product approaching $4.5 trillion.

BIMSTEC aligns with India's ‘Neighbourhood First' and ‘Act East' policies without the obstructionist geopolitical blockades that stalled SAARC.

Carbon-negative Bhutan leads the environment and climate pillar, prioritizing forest conservation, biodiversity, and glacial lake monitoring.

Nepal oversees cultural exchanges, religious pilgrimage circuits (such as the Buddhist Circuit), and university academic partnerships.

Myanmar leads agriculture and fisheries cooperation, focusing on sustainable crop productivity, livestock genetics, and post-harvest storage.

The MLAT enables national law enforcement agencies to exchange evidence and track transnational organized crime networks across borders.

The agreement eliminates the need for expensive high-seas mother vessel transshipments, reducing freight costs and transit times.

Thailand held the chairmanship under the vision ‘Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC' (PRO BIMSTEC) hosted in Bangkok.

Matarbari is Bangladesh's first commercial deep-sea port capable of docking large container vessels, transforming Bay of Bengal trade routes.

Operated by the Ministry of Earth Sciences at NCMRWF Noida, BCWC delivers high-resolution numerical weather prediction models.

Kolkata and Haldia ports route container freight through Chittagong and Mongla ports to reach Agartala and Dawki in Northeast India.

The concept guides Thai economic engagement through Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic models across member countries.

The 1.9 km Maitri Setu spans the Feni River, turning Tripura into the ‘Gateway to Southeast Asia' with direct access to Chittagong port.

BIMSTEC unlocks international market access for India's landlocked North Eastern Region, accelerating transit infrastructure and trade with Southeast Asia.