Shared Aspirations, Diverse Priorities: BIMSTEC Perspectives on Connectivity

As an emerging zone of convergence between South and Southeast Asia, the Bay of Bengal has gained strategic and economic prominence within the broader Indo-Pacific framework. At the heart of this regional cooperative architecture lies the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which emphasises connectivity as a cardinal pillar to regional growth and development. Since its inception in 1997, BIMSTEC has identified 'transport and communication' as a key area of cooperation. At the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in March 2022, this sector was reorganised and renamed 'connectivity'(1). Anchored in principles of equality, non-interference, and mutual benefit, the BIMSTEC Charter (adopted in March 2022) entrusts Thailand with leadership in advancing this sector. Edited by Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, this volume examines how BIMSTEC's connectivity agenda reflects the collective aspirations of its member states—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—for shared prosperity, regional resilience, and openness in a multipolar Indo-Pacific. Despite differences, these countries share a broad consensus that greater connectivity is key to unlocking the region's economic potential and advancing its development. BIMSTEC encourages cooperative integration and open regionalism through port development and cross-border electricity trade. Simultaneously, efforts to enhance resilient infrastructure, coupled with diversification of supply networks, address the region's growing vulnerability to economic disruptions, environmental challenges, and geopolitical changes.