Dhaka, April 4 -- Bangladesh is set to assume the chairmanship of the regional grouping - Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) - for the next two years.

The BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The chairmanship of BIMSTEC, which has emerged as a "significant forum" for promoting regional development, connectivity and economic progress in the Bay of Bengal region, rotates according to the alphabetical order of the English names of the Member States, officials said.

The changeover of chairmanship takes place during the Summit whereby the member state chairing BIMSTEC hosts the Summit and hands ...