The first ministerial meeting was held in Bangladesh in 2008 while the second meeting was held in Nepal in 2013.

The BIMSTEC is an international organization involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

Before the meeting, the Director General of BIMSTEC M. Shahidul Islam held discussion with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees yesterday (18th Dec.).