Strengthening the BIMSTEC Security Pillar: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward
On 15 September 2026, the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), in partnership with the BIMSTEC Secretariat, convened an Expert Roundtable on “Strengthening the BIMSTEC Security Pillar: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward” at the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka.
The session was jointly chaired by BIPSS President Major General A N M Muniruzzaman, ndc, psc (Retd.), and BIMSTEC Secretary-General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, who briefed participants on the organization’s evolving security architecture. The keynote presentation was delivered by Dr. Rashed Uz Zaman, Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, who outlined priority areas to move BIMSTEC from declaratory commitments toward measurable, operational cooperation.
The open discussion, joined by academics, diplomats, ambassadors, and policymakers, raised the need for cross-sectoral coordination and the balance between BIMSTEC’s security and development agendas. In his closing remarks, BIPSS Senior Research Fellow Shafqat Munir underscored the need for institutionalized intelligence-sharing, integrated maritime security, and stronger defence diplomacy across the region.
