---
title: "BIMSTEC Secretariat — Definition & Meaning | Model Diplomat"
description: "The BIMSTEC Secretariat is the coordinating body for the Bay of Bengal Initiative, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, serving seven member states."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/bimstec-secretariat"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The BIMSTEC Secretariat is the permanent administrative and coordinating body of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Where is the BIMSTEC Secretariat located and when was it established?
- How is the BIMSTEC Secretary-General appointed?
- What legal instrument now governs BIMSTEC?
- Why is BIMSTEC significant for Bangladesh's foreign policy?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 6 June 1997

   The grouping originated as BIST-EC through the Bangkok Declaration of , expanding to its present membership and acquiring its current name by 2004.

2. 13 September 2014

   The decision to establish a permanent Secretariat was taken at the Second BIMSTEC Summit held in New Delhi in November 2008, and the Secretariat was formally…

3. 30 March 2022

   Its functioning is now anchored in the BIMSTEC Charter, signed at the Fifth Summit in Colombo on and entered into force on 20 May 2024, which for the first…

4. 20 May 2024

   Its functioning is now anchored in the BIMSTEC Charter, signed at the Fifth Summit in Colombo on 30 March 2022 and entered into force on , which for the firs…

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Example

In September 2014, Bangladesh inaugurated the permanent BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka, with Sri Lanka's Sumith Nakandala assuming office as the grouping's first Secretary-General.

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Lessons

[Bangladesh In Saarc Bimstec Regional Cooperation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/bcs-bangladesh-in-world-bangladesh-in-saarc-bimstec-regional-cooperation)[Bangladesh In Saarc Bimstec Sub Regional Cooperation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/bcs-bangladesh-in-world-bangladesh-in-saarc-bimstec-sub-regional-cooperation)

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