The Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), in partnership with the BIMSTEC Secretariat, has 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 Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, and BIMSTEC Secretary-General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, who briefed participants on the organisation’s evolving security architecture.

Delivering the keynote presentation, Dhaka University Professor Dr Rashed Uz Zaman of the International Relations Department, outlined priority areas to move BIMSTEC from declaratory commitments toward measurable, operational cooperation.
An 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 institutionalised intelligence-sharing, integrated maritime security, and stronger defence diplomacy across the region.



