Home Minister Sudhan Gurung will depart for New Delhi, India, on October 12, 2026, to participate in the first meeting of Home Ministers from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). This visit marks his first foreign engagement since assuming the role of Home Minister.
The BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ meeting is scheduled for October 13, 2026, in New Delhi. Home Ministry sources indicate that the meeting will bring together Home Ministers from all seven member states: Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The agenda is expected to focus on various common security concerns shared among these nations.
Ahead of the ministerial gathering, a meeting of Home Secretaries from the BIMSTEC member states is also slated to take place. During his visit, Home Minister Gurung is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Amit Shah, on October 13, 2026.
BIMSTEC’s Evolution and Objectives
BIMSTEC was established on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration. Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation), its membership expanded over time. Myanmar joined on December 22, 1997, leading to a name change to BIMST-EC. Nepal and Bhutan became members in February 2004. The organisation was formally renamed the ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC) on July 31, 2004, during its first summit in Bangkok.
The regional bloc aims to foster cooperation across 14 key sectors, including technology, crime reduction, agriculture, environment, counter-terrorism, and poverty alleviation. The decision to hold a Home Ministers’ meeting stems from recommendations made during previous meetings of Home Secretaries and National Security Advisors of the member states.
Upcoming Engagements and Unanswered Questions
Following Home Minister Gurung’s visit, Prime Minister Balen Shah is also preparing for an official visit to India, scheduled for December 6 and 7, 2026.
While the focus of the BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ meeting is broadly understood to be common security concerns, a detailed agenda beyond this has not been explicitly released. Furthermore, the total duration of Home Minister Gurung’s visit to India, beyond the dates of the meetings, remains undisclosed.
