BIMSTEC is the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, formed in 1997 to promote economic cooperation between 7 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The organization aims to accelerate economic growth through cooperation in areas like trade, investment, technology and infrastructure development. Recent BIMSTEC projects include developing human resources and facilitating business travel. However, BIMSTEC faces challenges like a lack of priority and poor bilateral relationships between members that have limited its effectiveness.

1. State University of
Bangladesh
Nahid Hossen
UGo1-37-14-083

2. B I M S T E
C

3. Introduction
 BIMSTEC is short for Bay Of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
 Members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal

4. Background Information
 On 6 June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed
in Bangkok and it was named as BIST-EC
 On 22 December 1997, when Myanmar joined it has
changed it’s name to BIMSTEC
 The objective of building such an alliance was to harness
shared and accelerated growth through mutual cooperation
in different areas of common interests

5. Benefits For The Members
• Members will have rapid economic development through
identification and implementation of specific cooperation
projects in these sectors
Trade
Investment &
Industry
Technology
Human
resource
development
Tourism Agriculture Energy Infrastructure
Transportation

6. Recent Projects
• Aimed at developing human
resources in the region in order to
build the knowledge based
economy
Technical Cooperation
& HRM Development
• Long term multiple entry visa to
facilitate business travel within
BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC Business
Travel Facilitation
• In order to stimulate trade and
investment in membersFree Trade Area
Framework

7. Achievement & Contribution
 In 2005, BIMSTEC collaborated with Asian Development
Bank to help promote and improve transport infrastructure
and logistic among the BIMSTEC countries

8. Future goals
Poverty Alleviation
• Through education and self employment, the role of
women and making poor people bankable
Protection of Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge
(traditional medicine)
• By promoting traditional medicine and generic drugs,
so that the poor would have access to affordable
treatment

9. Challenges andThreats
• BIMSTEC has gained so little national and regional
significance and this is one of the main challenges for
them.
• This challenge occurs mainly because India is by far the
biggest country in BIMSTEC. Since India did not take much
interest in BIMSTEC, other members hasn’t been
influential either.
• Another big challenge is the poor bilateral relationship
between the BIMSTEC countries.

10. Why I Like BIMSTEC !!
BIMSTEC provides a formidable platform for developing
deeper understanding and cooperation with our neighbors
and work for progress and prosperity for the people of the
region.

11. Conclusion
 Although BIMSTEC started with a great purpose it lacks of
proper goals and implementation of goals. That’s why it
got the lowest priority. In order to succeed with their
goals, they must include more big economic Asian
countries.

12. References
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal_Initiative_for_Multi-
Sectoral_Technical_and_Economic_Cooperation
 http://www.bimstec.org/index.php
 http://sameaf.mfa.go.th/en/organization/detail.php?ID=4493