BIMSTEC foreign ministers signed a maritime transport cooperation agreement in Bangkok on Thursday ahead of the start of the summit on Friday.

The deal would help bolster connectivity among the seven countries near the Bay of Bengal, it was said.

At Thursday’s foreign ministry-level meeting the agenda for the meeting was fixed. Next year’s summit would be held in Dhaka, it was decided.

Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain represented his country at the meeting. In his speech, he expresses Bangladesh’s commitment to regional peace, progress and prosperity.

He also stressed the effective implementation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) among BIMSTEC member countries.

The foreign adviser also called for creating a suitable atmosphere in Myanmar for the safe return and peaceful living of nearly 12 lakh people from Myanmar’s minority Rohingya community. The 12 lakh people are now living as refugees in Bangladesh, having being forcibly displaced in Myanmar army operations.