Shahidul may be next Bimstec Secy Gen

The government has nominated M Shahidul Islam, Bangladesh Amba-ssador to France, as the next Secretary General of Bimstec.   The government has already shared the proposed name with 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. 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 this correspondent.

The meeting is likely to finalize 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 on August 9.

Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral Tech-nical and Economic Coo-peration (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 Secre-tariat is located in Dhaka. 

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