Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) ambassador Indra Mani Pandey on Monday called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka.

The Secretary General briefed the Chief Adviser about the activities of the BIMSTEC, saying that the member nations were trying to transform it into a top active regional forum.

Ambassador Pandey said Bangladesh would take over the chair of the BIMSTEC after the upcoming summit with expectations that Professor Yunus's leadership will inject new life into the activities of the seven-nation grouping.

“We've poised to become a functionally more active organisation," Ambassador Pandey said.

With your leadership, we will be able to make progress in many areas," he said.

Thailand was expected to hold the BIMSTEC summit in September. But it was postponed and will be rescheduled later.

Ambassador Pandey said the group has started holding three ministerial meetings a year and has signed agreements in key areas, including maritime transport and energy cooperation.

He said environment and climate change have also emerged as key priority areas of the group.

Professor Yunus said the group should focus more on youth, environment, and climate crisis issues. He highlighted the achievements of the Bangladeshi young people who led a successful revolution in July-August.

“They are the future," he said, adding that Dhaka would hold a festival for the youth shortly, and he hoped each of the seven nations would send young people to join the festival in the Bangladesh capital.

Ambassador Pandey praised the Three Zero movement launched by the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.

He said women centric development is also a key priority of the BIMSTEC.

Professor Yunus said among the BIMSTEC nations, Nepal alone has more than 700 Three Zero clubs, and at least eight Indian universities have set up social business hubs.

BDST: 1922 HRS, OCT 28, 2024
MUM/MSK