Bangladesh has reiterated its strong and continued support for revitalising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), emphasising the importance of deeper regional collaboration to ensure peace, stability and shared prosperity in South Asia.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with SAARC Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
A press release issued by the ministry confirmed that both sides discussed issues related to strengthening the regional body and exploring ways to reinvigorate cooperation among member states.
During the meeting, the state minister recalled Bangladesh’s historical role in initiating the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia.
She noted that the concept was first proposed in the early 1980s by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman to promote people’s welfare, improve living standards and enhance collective self-reliance among neighbouring countries.
As one of the founding members of SAARC and the host of the organisation’s first summit in December 1985, Bangladesh remains committed to upholding the vision and objectives of the charter. Shama Obaed highlighted that despite evolving regional and global challenges, SAARC continues to serve as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation.
She pointed out that the organisation plays a vital role in promoting collaboration in key areas such as trade, investment, regional connectivity, poverty alleviation, energy cooperation, climate change response, food security, education, public health, culture and people-to-people engagement.
The state minister stressed the need to strengthen SAARC’s institutional mechanisms and ensure more effective implementation of its initiatives.
She reaffirmed Bangladesh’s adherence to the core principles outlined in the SAARC Charter, including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs and mutual benefit.
The secretary general also discussed ongoing efforts and future plans aimed at enhancing coordination among member states and making the organisation more dynamic and responsive to contemporary regional needs.
Both sides expressed optimism that renewed commitment and active engagement from all member countries would help restore momentum to the SAARC process and make it more effective in delivering tangible benefits to the people of South Asia.
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