The Rohingya crisis is not part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)'s current agenda because it is considered a political issue, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey said on Tuesday.

Speaking to members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka's Gulshan area, Pandey said the regional organization operates on a consensus-based agenda set by its member states, which does not include political matters.

Responding to a question on whether BIMSTEC has any initiative regarding the Rohingya crisis, he said the grouping has so far focused on technical and economic cooperation rather than political issues.

"The agenda of BIMSTEC is collectively decided by its member states. Political issues have not been included in the organization's current framework, and therefore the Rohingya crisis is not on its formal agenda," Pandey said.

He explained that BIMSTEC was established to strengthen practical cooperation between South and Southeast Asian countries, with priority given to technical collaboration, economic integration, and development-oriented initiatives.

According to the Secretary General, the organization has deliberately concentrated on delivering tangible outcomes through sectoral cooperation instead of engaging in politically sensitive issues.

Pandey's remarks came just a day after Bangladesh called on BIMSTEC to take a more proactive role in addressing the Rohingya crisis.

Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka on Monday, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, urged the regional bloc to contribute more actively toward creating conditions for the safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

Myanmar, one of BIMSTEC's seven-member states, is the country of origin of the Rohingya population.

More than 1.2 million Rohingya  currently live in camps in Cox's Bazar and on Bhasan Char after fleeing Myanmar's military crackdown in Rakhine State in 2017. Bangladesh has consistently called for stronger international and regional support to facilitate their safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Myanmar.

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