BIMSTEC hosts inaugural home ministers meeting in New Delhi

India is hosting the first-ever BIMSTEC home ministers meeting in New Delhi, aimed at strengthening regional security cooperation. The meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, focuses on combating terrorism, transnational organized crime, narcotics, human trafficking, and cyber threats among member states.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. While the summit seeks to enhance coordination on shared security concerns, Bangladesh's Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed is skipping the event. Instead, a delegation led by Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury will represent Dhaka, amid reported tensions in India-Bangladesh relations following the change in government in Bangladesh in August 2024.