The government has nominated M Shahidul Islam, now serving as Bangladesh Ambassador to France, as the next Secretary General of Bimstec. The government has already shared the proposed name with Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) member states through Bimstec Secretariat, reports UNB.

His appointment is likely to be confirmed at the fifteenth Bimstec Ministerial meeting to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, a diplomatic source told the news agency.

The ministerial meeting will be preceded by the eighteenth session of the Bimstec Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on Thursday. Shahidul Islam’s appointment will be confirmed either on Thursday or Friday, another official told the news agency. The meeting is likely to finalise date for the next Bimstec Summit, too.

In 2012, Ambassador Sumith Nakandala was nominated as the first Secretary General of Bimstec and he assumed the charge of the Secretary General on August 10, 2014. His tenure ended yesterday (August 9).

Bimstec is the sub-regional grouping comprising seven countries of South Asia and South East Asia. Nepal is the current Chair of the Bimstec while its Secretariat is located in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, there will be changes in the post of Mission Chiefs in Bangladesh Missions to Myanmar, France, Australia and Mauritius, Foreign Ministry sources said.