Speaking at a BIMSTEC gathering on Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah outlined a position of no tolerance toward terrorist activity and argued that trust-building alongside coordinated action among member states forms the foundation for regional security, with cross-border prevention of such activity requiring a shared commitment from all parties involved.

Speaking at the inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting held in the capital, Shah put forward the position that member nations' security frameworks should work in tandem to address terrorism and other cross-border threats, while his delegation's formal statement described the country's stance toward terrorism as one of absolute non-tolerance.

Shah conveyed that a shared commitment across the region ought to leave no room for sheltering, enlisting, training, obtaining resources for, or conducting operations directed at neighbouring countries. Calling for coordinated action across the region, Shah put forward the position that member states should work together under the BIMSTEC Convention framework to address terrorism, organised crime, and the illegal trafficking of drugs.

Shared defence arrangements among member states tend to grow more dependable when each country's own security apparatus actively contributes to the protection of the others. Organised groups involved in unlawful activity routinely move across national boundaries, exploiting gaps in local enforcement and governance.

Regional cooperation occupies a defined and valued position within the way the organisation operates. These networks, he noted, are undergoing rapid transformation. Coordinated action across the region formed the core of Shah's message, with participating nations urged to align their security frameworks so that each country's protective measures reinforce those of its neighbours.

Over the span of twelve years, measures taken to address terrorism have followed a policy of not tolerating such activity, according to available records. Revised legislation, restructured oversight bodies, and shared intelligence flows have drawn central and state-level agencies into a notably tighter working relationship.

Efforts to counter cross-border militant activity, disrupt the financial pipelines feeding armed groups, and bring law enforcement and security agencies up to modern standards have together shaped a more robust national defence posture. Bolstering defences against newer forms of digital attack has been part of the broader push to expand cybersecurity capacity.

Ongoing work across these areas has been linked to measurable shifts in internal security conditions — among them, a drop in terror-related incidents, fewer deaths among civilians and personnel, and broader gains in public safety, development, and national resilience.

Spanning the divide between South Asia and Southeast Asia, BIMSTEC — the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — draws together seven nations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka on the South Asian side, alongside Myanmar and Thailand representing the Southeast Asian flank. Spanning seven member states, the BIMSTEC grouping covers roughly 1.7 billion people — about 22 per cent of all humans on earth — whose economies together generate an output of USD 5 trillion.

Gathered under the banner of the inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting, member states found a shared forum for addressing terrorism, organised crime, and drug trafficking, while India put forward the case for mutual trust and coordinated security arrangements as a foundation for greater regional safety.