Forget Saarc, think of Bimstec

Delhi-based leading private think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has stressed the need for strengthening the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) taking all Saarc members except Pakistan on board to boost regional trade and cooperation.

The organisation also suggested trilateral sub-regional cooperation among Bangladesh-India-Myanmar for moving forward with massive development.

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Despite many efforts by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), the three-decade old regional forum could not be made effective due to hindrance from Pakistan, ORF's distinguished fellow Pinak R Chakravarty told a group of visiting Bangladeshi journalists on Monday. The newsmen are in the Indian capital on an invitation of the external affairs ministry.

He called upon the Bangladesh government to concentrate very carefully on Bimstec. “I think East could be more relevant for Bangladesh.”

“Forget the Saarc at least for the time being,” said the former Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, adding that Saarc members Afghanistan and the Maldives would be made observers of the Bimstec. “So, you will really have [Bimstec like] Saarc minus Pakistan plus Thailand and Myanmar.”

The ORF was trying to make the Bimstec more active for regional cooperation as Pakistan wants to use Saarc as leverage for their purpose, Pinak added.

His remarks came amid postponement of the 19th Saarc Summit, which was scheduled for November in Islamabad, after most of its members, including Bangladesh, refused to join.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka are members of the Saarc, while the Bimstec is composed of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

The former diplomat said connectivity in the region could be a good gesture among the three states. “We have settled maritime boundary and Bangladesh-Myanmar and India could work in a tri-lateral way to explore energy in the Bay of Bengal. We can share our resources to explore energy and all the three countries would be benefited.”

Bangladesh-India-Myanmar can expand a pipeline to share petroleum resources, he observed.

Noting that terrorism is a problem in the region, he said Bangladesh and India will have to set up better structure to fight the menace.