Reignite regional growth: CA
Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus, has reiterated the importance of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to foster stronger ties and shared economic benefits among South Asian nations.
“SAARC has become a forgotten term. Its revival could greatly benefit the people of this region,” Dr Yunus stated during a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Golam Sarwar at his office in Tejgaon on Monday.
The Secretary General briefed Dr Yunus on SAARC’s current activities, its Regional Centres, and upcoming initiatives. He thanked Dr Yunus for prioritising SAARC and consistently advocating its role in regional development.
He also praised Bangladesh’s pivotal role in founding SAARC in 1985 and highlighted the significance of the upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations as an opportunity to revitalise the organisation.
Dr Yunus emphasised that SAARC should focus on initiatives that foster people-to-people connections, such as youth exchanges, journalist and writer forums, and entrepreneurial collaboration.
He called for greater emphasis on areas of mutual interest, including climate change, sustainable development, and renewable energy.
He also urged SAARC to work on regional issues, such as facilitating hydro-electricity exports from Nepal to India and Bhutan.
Additionally, he invited youth from SAARC member countries to participate in a youth festival scheduled in Bangladesh in January, suggesting that such events could strengthen the spirit of regional unity.
Both leaders discussed the need to resume meetings at various levels, including those of foreign secretaries, foreign ministers, and heads of state, to reinvigorate SAARC’s role in regional cooperation.
Since the formation of the Interim Government, Dr Yunus has frequently highlighted the importance of SAARC as a platform for mutual cooperation, enabling easier cross-border movement and business opportunities.
The Secretary General, on an official visit to Dhaka, also met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain to discuss the current state of SAARC and potential pathways for its revitalisation.
Hossain echoed the call for renewed efforts, stressing that the initial vision of SAARC’s founders remains relevant and vital for the collective interests of member states.
SAARC, established in 1985, comprises eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Secretariat is based in Kathmandu.
The last SAARC Summit was held in Nepal in 2014, with the 2016 summit in Pakistan suspended due to regional tensions, rendering SAARC largely inactive since then.