DHAKA, Aug 29, 2018 (BSS) – The Rohingya issue is expected to be discussed
at the Retreat (informal) Session of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit to be held in
Kathmandu, Nepal, from August 30 to 31.
“As BIMSTEC is the forum for regional economic cooperation, there is less
opportunity to talk about political issue. But, Rohingya issue may be
discussed at the informal retreat session of the summit,” State Minister for
Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam told a press briefing on upcoming 4th
BIMSTEC summit here.
He said: “If any member state raises the Rohingya issue for discussion at
the retreat session, Bangladesh would be happy to discuss”.
This sub-regional organisation “BIMSTEC – the Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation” came into being on June 6,
1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It comprises seven member states – five
from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two from
Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
Head of the states of all member countries, including Bangladesh Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, will join the summit that is expected to witness sign
of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on regional cooperation.
The Bangladesh premier will leave Dhaka for Kathmandu tomorrow on a two-
day official visit to attend the Summit under theme – “Towards a Peaceful,
Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region”.
Indian Premier Narendra Modi and Myanmar President Win Myint are also
expected to join the summit that adds extra attention centering the ongoing
Rohingya crisis in the region.
The Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown in northwestern Myanmar’s
Rakhine state in August last year after rebel attacks on its police posts and
a military base. The crackdown is believed to have killed about 25,000
Rohingyas and drove 700,000 of them out of their home to take refuge in
neighbouring Bangladesh.
Shahriar said countering terrorism, enhancing regional connectivity,
boosting trade poverty alleviation and climate change are expected to be the
key focus of the summit.
Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will inaugurate the summit on
Thursday afternoon at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu with the
participation of the leaders of the seven-nation regional grouping that
constitutes a bridge between South and South East Asia and represents a
reinforcement of relations among these countries.
Sheikh Hasina will deliver her speech just after welcome speech of the
Nepalese Prime Minister.
On next day, the leaders will join the retreat session where two
agreements will be signed among the member states, Shahriar said.
The agreements are – ‘Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of
BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection’ that aims to set up power grids among the
member states under a large framework to promote regional power trade and
‘BIMSEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters’ that aims
to check criminal activities within the region through sharing information.
After the retreat session, the leaders of the member states will issue a
joint declaration.
On the sideline of the summit, the leaders of the region will hold
bilateral meetings. “We are expecting a bilateral meeting between our
Honourable Prime Minister and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shahriar
said.
As the founder member as well as host country of BIMSTEC Secretariat that
was established in Dhaka in 2014, the State Minister said, Bangladesh put
highest importance on the summit aiming at increasing regional cooperation
for attaining more prosperity and securing peace in the region.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and her entourage will depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
here for Kathmandu tomorrow morning. The flight is scheduled to reach
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 9:15 am local time.
Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel and Bangladesh Ambassador
to Nepal Mashfee Binte Shams will receive the Bangladesh premier at the
airport.
After the reception at the airport, Sheikh Hasina will be escorted to Hotel
Soaltee Crowne Plazza at Tahachal Marg in a ceremonial motorcade where she
will be staying during her visit to Nepal.
On the first day of her visit, the Prime Minister will call on Nepalese
President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Nibash, the Presidential Palace, in
the capital city.
She will also attend a banquet luncheon there to be hosted by the Nepalese
President before formal inauguration of the summit.
Sheikh Hasina and other leaders will also join a gala dinner to be hosted
by Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the city’s Hyatt Regency Hotel in
the evening on that day.
She will return home on Friday noon.
Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the
acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic
Cooperation) in 1997.
Following the inclusion of Myanmar on December 22, 1997 during a special
Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh,
India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting
(February 2004, Thailand), the name of the group was changed to ‘Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’
(BIMSTEC).
The objective of building such an alliance was to harness shared and
accelerated growth through mutual cooperation in different areas of common
interests by mitigating the onslaught of globalisation and utilising regional
resources and geographical advantages.