BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

During the BIMSTEC National Security Adviser/Chiefs first meeting held in New Delhi, India on 21 March 2017, decision was taken to commence a Track 1.5 BIMSTEC Security Dialogue Forum. Accordingly, the first meeting of Track 1.5 BIMSTEC Security Dialogue Forum was organized at IDSA, New Delhi, India on 22 September 2017. In continuation of the process, the second meeting of Track 1.5 BIMSTEC Security Dialogue Forum has been organized by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on 30-31 July 2019 at BIISS auditorium.

Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc (retd), Security Affairs Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Govt. of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, graced the session as the Chief Guest. Major General A K M Abdur Rahman, ndc, psc, Director General, BIISS, Chaired the Inaugural Session and delivered the welcome address. Ambassador M Shahidul Islam, Secretary General of BIMSTEC delivered the introductory remarks. Acting Foreign Secretary Mr. Karmrul Ahsan also delivered his remarks in the Inaugural Session.

The hon’ble Chief Guest Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc (retd), noted that security threats have changed in recent times and globalization has created new challenges for security personnel. He underlined that it is not possible to achieve absolute security, but the goal of BIMSTEC is to minimize the security concerns. He noted that Bangladesh Prime Minister during the Goa Summit held in 2016, suggested the inclusion of security issues in BIMSTEC. He added that there are a number of common security concerns which the BIMSTEC countries share among themselves are the driving force for cooperation. He mentioned that ‘cooperative security’ is the ideal security concept, which reflects common interests and shared risk. He also mentioned about ‘hybrid threat’ with regard to forcibly displaced person of Myanmar. He stressed on the importance of effective measures to be taken on forced migration, terming the Rohingya problem as ‘Tsunami’ and the vicious cycle which will affect all of us.

Major General A K M Abdur Rahman, ndc, psc, Director General, BIISS, remarked that, as a region, BIMSTEC hosts a diverse range of complex non-traditional security threats including trafficking of narcotics, weapons and people, forced displacement, insurgencies and terrorism, natural disasters, money laundering and financial fraud and great power rivalry in the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Ambassador M Shahidul Islam, Secretary General of BIMSTEC, noted that today counterterrorism and combating transnational crimes have become the most active sectors of cooperation under BIMSTEC framework with frequent meetings and well-developed institutional mechanism. Established in 2014, the joint working group on counterterrorism and transnational crimes and its 6 sub-groups are working to enhance regional cooperation on diverse subjects including intelligence sharing, financing of terrorism, legal and law enforcing issues, trafficking in illicit drugs, human trafficking and countering radicalization.  

Acting Foreign Secretary Mr. Kamrul Ahsan said that regional cooperation is one of the top priorities of Bangladesh’s foreign policy of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He highlighted that there are multiple challenges- traditional and non-traditional threats toward mutual cooperation. Hence collective solutions should be sought.

There were four working sessions: working session I on Threat of Terrorism and Violent Extremism, and Responses by BIMSTEC Countries; working session II on Maritime Security (Capacity Building, Maritime Connectivity, etc.); working session III on Non-Traditional Security Threats with Emphasis on Cyber Security and Transnational Crimes (Illicit Trade and Trafficking in Arms, Narcotics Drugs Smuggling, Human Trafficking, etc.); and working session IV on Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR). Nineteen foreign delegates from the BIMSTEC countries and designated local experts participated during the sessions of the two-day “Second Meeting of the Track 1.5 BIMSTEC Security Dialogue Forum”.