ASEAN Secretary-General rules out Bangladesh's membership bid

Bangladesh is unlikely to become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the bloc's current charter because it does not meet the organization's geographical eligibility requirements, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said.

Speaking at the 10th ASEAN Media Forum in Manila, Kao said the ASEAN Charter limits membership to countries that are geographically recognized as part of Southeast Asia.

"Under the ASEAN Charter, only countries located in Southeast Asia are eligible for membership," he said, adding that Bangladesh, which is in South Asia, and Papua New Guinea, which is part of Oceania, do not satisfy that requirement.

Kao described Timor-Leste as ASEAN's final new member under the existing framework, indicating that the regional bloc is not expected to expand beyond its current 11-member structure unless its charter is amended.

Any change to ASEAN's membership criteria would require a formal amendment to the ASEAN Charter, a process that would need unanimous approval from all member states.

"Without a change to the charter or to the geographical definition of Southeast Asia, ASEAN will remain limited to its current membership," he said.

Bangladesh has long sought closer engagement with ASEAN and has repeatedly expressed interest in joining the regional bloc. During Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship last year, Dhaka renewed diplomatic efforts to build support for its membership bid.

Papua New Guinea, which has held observer status since 1976, also remains ineligible despite public support from Indonesia for its accession, as the existing charter does not permit membership for countries outside Southeast Asia.

ASEAN currently consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste.