A ‘silver’ moment to propel a Bay of Bengal dream

Last Updated08/06/2022

June 6 marked the completion of 25 years since the 1997 Bangkok Declaration launched a modest grouping (of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand), with the acronym, BISTEC.
Three countries (Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar) joined it later to make it the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

At the grouping’s birth, the world was different; it was stamped by America’s ‘unipolar moment’.
- India and Thailand joined hands to start an experiment of infusing a part of South Asia with the economic and institutional dynamism that defined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
- But BIMSTEC found the burdens of South Asia too heavy to carry, and so it grew slowly.
Presently, strategic contestation between the United States and China defines the region’s geopolitics and geo-economics, creating new tensions and opportunities.
Since its Kathmandu summit in 2018, it is viewed as an instrument of regional cooperation and integration, not just of sub-regional cooperation.
- To achieve its goal BIMSTEC needs to work in unison, displayed at the historic Leaders’ Retreat in October 2016..
- The Colombo summit in March 2022 put its stamp of approval on it.

It has crafted a new Charter for itself, spelling out the grouping’s vision, functions of its constituent parts, and has secured a legal personality.
It has prioritised the sectors of cooperation, reducing them from the unwieldy 14 to the more manageable seven, with each member-state serving as the lead country for the assigned sector.
It has, finally, taken measures to strengthen the Secretariat, although some members are yet to extend adequate personnel support to it.
Above all, its success lies in its survival through the turns and twists of internal tensions.
- The BIMSTEC region witnessed the influx of over a million Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh, the result of oppression by the Myanmar military; the coup in Myanmar that led to its virtual boycott by a large segment of the international community; and the grave political and economic crisis afflicting Sri Lanka.
Unlike the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, post-2014, BIMSTEC has continued to hold its summits and meetings of Foreign Ministers. Unlike the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) which held only one summit since its establishment in 1997, BIMSTEC has succeeded in holding five summits so far; it has now resolved to hold regular summits once in two years.
The grouping has also registered progress in combating terrorism, forging security cooperation, and creating mechanisms and practices for the better management of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

However, a fair balance sheet must factor in the shortfalls and the gaps between ambition and action.
- A major failure relates to the continuing inability to produce a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 18 years after the signing of the Framework Agreement.
  - Official sources concede that of the seven agreements needed to operationalise the FTA, only two are “ready” — a disappointing record.
The other disappointment is connectivity — in infrastructure (roads, railways, air, river, and coastal shipping links), energy, the digital and financial domain, and institutions that bring people closer together for trade, tourism and cultural exchanges.
- Only limited progress has been achieved so far, despite the adoption of the Master Plan for Connectivity supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- Mega-projects aimed to improve connectivity between India and Myanmar (and Thailand) have been delayed inordinately.
For greater regional connectivity, more financial resources are needed. The movement towards establishing the BIMSTEC Development Fund is minimal.
- The grouping has talked about the Blue Economy but is yet to begin any work on it. Business chambers and corporate leaders are yet to be engaged fully with the activities of BIMSTEC.

An exciting destiny awaits it as it works to realise the vision of the Bay of Bengal Community (BOBC). In this Indo-Pacific century, the BOBC has the potential to play a pivotal role, deepening linkages between South Asia and Southeast Asia.
It should accelerate the region’s economic development by collaborating with the newly minted Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
- New synergy should be created between BIMSTEC and the IPEF.
Finally, while all member-states are equal, three have a special responsibility:
- Bangladesh as the host of the BIMSTEC Secretariat;
- Thailand as the representative of Southeast Asia;
- India as the largest state in South Asia.
This trio must be the engine to pull the BIMSTEC train with imagination and determination.