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4 clusters · 18 sources · 18 days · First seen · Last updated

BIMSTEC regional security cooperation

Overview

BIMSTEC member states have engaged in high-level meetings in New Delhi to strengthen regional security and cooperation against transnational threats.

In late September 2026, the 11th meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime convened to address security issues including human trafficking, narcotics, money laundering, and radicalization.

Following this, the organization hosted its inaugural home ministers meeting in mid-October 2026. Chaired by Indian Union Home Minister Amit Shah, this session expanded the focus to include cyber threats alongside terrorism and organized crime. While the meeting aimed to enhance coordination among members—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—participation reflected regional political nuances. Bangladesh was represented by a delegation led by Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury rather than its Home Minister, amid reported tensions in India-Bangladesh relations following a change in the Bangladeshi government in August 2024.

During the meeting, Amit Shah called for enhanced regional cooperation to combat terrorism, organized crime, and narcotics smuggling. He emphasized that no country in the region should serve as a “safe haven for terrorist groups, training centers, or funding operations,” urging member states to ensure security arrangements account for the safety of their neighbors. Shah advocated for a “whole-of-region approach” to address drug trafficking, which he described as “death trafficking,” noting that illegal drug proceeds often fund organized crime and terrorism.

The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which focuses on enhancing intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement to dismantle narcotics syndicates. This initiative aims to create a regional compact to close jurisdictional gaps exploited by traffickers, complementing India’s National Drug Control Vision for 2026-2029.

Entities

BIMSTEC · Amit Shah · Narendra Modi · New Delhi · India

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    BIMSTEC Home Ministers meet in New Delhi to combat narcotics trade

    BIMSTEC Home Ministers met in New Delhi to adopt the Delhi Declaration, aiming to combat transnational drug trafficking through enhanced intelligence sharing and regional security cooperation.

  2. [POLITICS] 8 sources
    Amit Shah urges BIMSTEC nations to increase counter-terrorism cooperation

    Indian Home Minister Amit Shah urged BIMSTEC nations to strengthen regional cooperation against terrorism, narcotics smuggling, and human trafficking during the group's first Home Ministers’ Meeting.

  3. [INTERNATIONAL] 9 sources
    BIMSTEC hosts inaugural home ministers meeting in New Delhi

    India is hosting the inaugural BIMSTEC home ministers meeting in New Delhi to bolster regional security and combat transnational crime, despite the absence of Bangladesh's Home Minister.

  4. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    BIMSTEC member states meet in India to discuss counter-terrorism

    India hosted the 11th BIMSTEC meeting in New Delhi, where member states discussed regional security, terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational crime to enhance cooperation.

Sources

assamtribune.com · bhaskarlive.in · desitalkchicago.com · lankanewspapers.com · latestly.com · millenniumpost.in · newindianexpress.com · news18.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · newsmobile.in · orissapost.com · sanmarg.in · socialnews.xyz · southasiandaily.com · tennews.in · theeuropetoday.com · thefederal.com · tokenpost.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history