Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A K Abdul Momen has said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attaches high importance to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) forum as a tool of regional movement. Welcoming the new Secretary General of BIMSTEC Tenzin Lekphell in Dhaka on Thursday, Foreign Minister Momen said that Dhaka wants Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dream of regional cooperation to be fulfilled through BIMSTEC, reports the official news agency BSS.<br />''<br />''Dr. Momen stressed upon the implementation of the BIMSTEC Master plan for Transport Connectivity for the benefit of the region. He said that connectivity could play a vital role in accelerating the pace of economic development of the BIMSTEC region.<br />''<br />''The Foreign Minister said that cooperation between member states of BIMSTEC must be expedited on priority to harness quick dividends for the people of this region by exploiting its full potential. He said that in the post Covid era, the BIMSTEC forum could be used to address multi-pronged challenges in the region. He reiterated Bangladesh's strong commitment to strengthen BIMSTEC cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and development. <br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. Established in 1997, it has seven member states including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.</span><br />