The D-8 was conceived on 22 October 1996 when the then Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey H.E. Mr. Necmattin Erbakan invited Ministers from eight Muslim countries to find out ways and means for fostering viable cooperation. Following the “Conference on Cooperation for Development”, and after a series of preparatory meetings, the D-8 was formally launched on 15 June 1997 through the adoption of Istanbul Declaration at the First Summit of eight Muslim majority developing countries, namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. All these countries are also members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Since its inception, economic cooperation has been the priority focus of the Group. According to the first Summit Declaration (Istanbul, 1997), the main objective of D-8 has come to be socio-economic development in accordance with the principles of peace instead of conflict, dialogue instead of confrontation, cooperation instead of exploitation, justice instead of double-standards, equality instead of discrimination, democracy instead of oppression.
The D-8 aims for Economic Cooperation to improve member states’ position in the global economy, to diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, to enhance participation in decision-making at international level, and to improve standards of living. D-8 is a global arrangement rather than a regional one, as the composition of its membership reflects. The Summit of the Heads of State/ Government is the supreme organ of the D-8 which is convened by rotation, once every two years in one of the member countries. The rotation takes place in alphabetical order and hence Bangladesh comes first and Turkey at the end in the cycle. The Summit decides, through consultations, the date and venue of the next one. The host of each Summit acts as the Chairman of D-8 until the following Summit.
Through the 10th Summit Bangladesh will assume the chairmanship of D-8 for the term of 02 years. In the 10th Summit, Bangladesh is going to host the D-8 Youth Summit for the first time.
Prime Minister, Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, assumed the office on 07 January 2019 for the fourth time after her party Awami League-led grand alliance won the December 30, 2018 11th Parliamentary elections.
President, Egypt
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi is the current President of Egypt, former Director of Military Intelligence, former Minister of Defence, and former General. Starting 10 February 2019, Sisi also began serving a one-year term as Chairperson of the African Union, which concluded in 2020.
President, Indonesia
Ir. H. Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, was born in Surakarta, Central Java, on 21 June 1961. In the direct presidential election in Indonesia on 9 July 2014, Joko Widodo was elected as the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia.
President, Iran
Dr. Hassan Rouhani was born on 12 November 1948 in Sorkhe (Semnan province), Lawyer, Muslim cleric, Representative of the Supreme Leader to the Supreme National Security Council, Member of the Assembly of Experts, head of the Political and Social Committee of the Assembly of Experts, President of the Center for Strategic Research
Prime Minister, Malaysia
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a Malaysian politician who has been serving as the 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia since March 2020. He served as the 10th Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs and in many other Cabinet positions under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Najib Razak and Mahathir Mohamad, from May 1995 to February 2020
President, Nigeria
Muhammadu Buhari is a Nigerian politician who has been president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Major General of the Nigerian Army and served as military head of state from 1983 to 1985, after taking power in a military coup d'état.
Prime Minister, Pakistan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi HI PP is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Pakistan and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Before entering politics, Khan was an international cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team, which he led to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup
President, Turkey
With roots in Rize, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born in Istanbul on February 26, 1954. He graduated from Kasımpaşa Piyale Primary School in 1965 and completed his high school education at Istanbul Imam Hatip School (Religious Vocational High School) in 1973.