- Nearly 13m displaced people at health risk for funding cuts |
- Sustained support must to prevent disaster for Rohingya refugees |
- UN rights chief condemns extrajudicial killings in Khartoum |
- BNP stance on reforms: Vested quarter spreads misinfo; Fakhrul |
- New Secy-Gen Shirley Botchwey pledges to advance Co’wealth values in divided world |
CA Yunus Departs for Bangkok to Attend 6th BIMSTEC Summit
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has departed for Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying Dr. Yunus and his delegation took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:55 am, as confirmed by the Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, in a statement to UNB.
During the summit, Dr. Yunus is expected to engage in multiple meetings with leaders from BIMSTEC member states, including a landmark in-person meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is set for April 4.
Bangladesh views this year’s BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for April 4, as a significant event. The country will assume the chairmanship of the regional grouping for the next two years, marking an important milestone. Officials expressed that the summit presents a valuable opportunity for Bangladesh to project itself as a “just and inclusive” nation within the South and Southeast Asian region.
Ahead of the summit, Dr. Yunus is slated to deliver a keynote address at the “BIMSTEC Young Generation Forum: Where the Future Meets” on Thursday, offering his insights on the future of the region and its young leaders.
As the theme of this year's summit is “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC,” the gathering will focus on fostering greater collaboration among member states to tackle shared security and developmental challenges. The summit will also provide a fresh impetus toward achieving the overarching goal of a more prosperous, resilient, and open BIMSTEC, according to the BIMSTEC Secretariat.
Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin emphasized that the summit would "strengthen and deepen" Bangladesh’s relationships with other BIMSTEC nations, playing a crucial role in advancing regional peace and development. He described the 6th BIMSTEC Summit as an important step for Bangladesh's growing influence in the regional arena.
The Foreign Secretary also took part in the 25th BIMSTEC senior officials' meeting on April 2, where discussions centered on advancing the region’s cooperation.
There is a possibility that an agreement on ‘Maritime Transport Cooperation’ among BIMSTEC member states will be signed at the summit, which is expected to bolster regional economic and trade relations by enhancing commercial shipping and maritime transport, further strengthening the regional economic infrastructure.