Amit Shah calls for regional unity against terrorism

NEW DELHI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called on BIMSTEC member countries to strengthen regional cooperation to fight terrorism, disrupt terrorist financing and organised crime, and prevent terrorist networks from finding safe havens. He reaffirmed India’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism while addressing the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. Shah said BIMSTEC had become an important platform for regional integration, economic cooperation and collective security. He stressed that the security arrangements of each member country should support the safety of others through shared responsibility and coordinated action. “India has always adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism,” Shah said. He urged member countries to ensure that terrorist groups could not recruit members, establish training centres, collect funds or conduct operations against neighbouring nations from any part of the region. The Home Minister also called for closer coordination among law enforcement agencies and the exchange of verified, actionable intelligence. He said countries should share information about terrorists, their associates, criminal networks, financial channels and cross-border activities to strengthen regional security. Shah further urged BIMSTEC members to improve cooperation on mutual legal assistance and extradition, in accordance with their national laws and relevant agreements. He said such measures would help authorities bring criminals to justice and prevent them from escaping legal action across borders. Highlighting the connection between drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorism, Shah called for a coordinated regional strategy to tackle narcotics smuggling. He said the illegal proceeds from drugs could strengthen criminal groups and support terrorist activities. “We must adopt a whole-of-region approach,” Shah said, adding that the diversion of precursor chemicals and transactions through the dark web had made the challenge more complex. He emphasised that individual countries could not effectively address these threats without collective efforts. BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The regional grouping aims to promote technical and economic cooperation among its member countries.