Four countries founded it in 1997. It then took 25 years to get a legal identity. BIMSTEC is a small club of Bay of Bengal nations that bridges South Asia and Southeast Asia. This page covers its members, its Charter and the Bangkok summit of 2025.
Keep three questions in mind. How did four countries build a Bay of Bengal club? Who belongs and what do they lead? And when did it get a legal identity?
BIST-EC: The original name, with four members.
Charter: The founding legal document, adopted in 2022.
Secretariat: The permanent office, in Dhaka.
BODHI: BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure.
1How did four countries build a Bay of Bengal club?
Imagine four countries around the Bay of Bengal deciding to work together. In June 1997, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand did exactly that.
They signed the Bangkok Declaration. The group was called BIST-EC at first.
Myanmar joined later in 1997. The name became BIMST-EC. Nepal and Bhutan joined in 2004. The name became BIMSTEC, and the group had seven members.
Think it through: Why is BIMSTEC called a bridge?
Five members are in South Asia and two are in Southeast Asia. It links the two regions across the Bay of Bengal.
- Founded: June 1997, Bangkok Declaration.
- First name: BIST-EC, four members.
- Seven members since 2004.
- Secretariat: Dhaka.
True or False: BIMSTEC was founded through the Dhaka Declaration.
2Who belongs, and what does each lead?
The seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Pakistan is not a member.
Each member leads a sector. India leads security. Thailand leads connectivity. Bangladesh leads trade and investment. Bhutan leads environment and climate change.
Myanmar leads agriculture and food security. Nepal leads people-to-people contact. Sri Lanka leads science, technology and innovation.
Chairmanship rotates in alphabetical order among the seven members.
- India: security.
- Thailand: connectivity.
- Bangladesh: trade and investment.
- Nepal: people-to-people contact.
True or False: Thailand leads the connectivity sector.
3When did BIMSTEC get a legal identity?
For 25 years, BIMSTEC had no formal legal personality. That changed in 2022, when members adopted the BIMSTEC Charter at the Fifth Summit, hosted by Sri Lanka.
Technical centres are spread across members. The Energy Centre is in Bengaluru. The Weather and Climate Centre is in NOIDA. The Cultural Industries Observatory is in Thimphu, Bhutan. The Technology Transfer Facility is in Colombo.
- Charter: 2022, Fifth Summit.
- Energy Centre: Bengaluru.
- Cultural Industries Observatory: Bhutan.
- Technology Transfer Facility: Colombo.
True or False: Every BIMSTEC technical centre is in India.
4What did the 6th Summit in Bangkok decide?
The 6th Summit was held in Bangkok on 4 April 2025. Its theme was “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC”. (Source: BIMSTEC Secretariat)
Leaders adopted the Bangkok Vision 2030 and a maritime transport agreement. Bangladesh took over the chair for two years. (Source: Manorama Yearbook)
PM Modi proposed BODHI, a plan to train youth from BIMSTEC countries in India. India will host the first BIMSTEC Games in 2027, the group’s 30th anniversary.
- Summit: 4 April 2025, Bangkok.
- Adopted: Bangkok Vision 2030.
- Chair now: Bangladesh, two years.
- India hosts: BIMSTEC Games, 2027.
True or False: Bangladesh took over the BIMSTEC chair after the Bangkok summit.
5What are the exam traps?
- Bangkok Declaration, not Dhaka.
- First name BIST-EC; Nepal was not a founder.
- Members: 7; Pakistan is not one.
- Legal personality: 2022 Charter.
- Not every technical centre is in India.
MCQ on BIMSTEC: A Bay of Bengal Club That Bridges Two Regions
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