Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Professor Mohammad Yunus, has said that the spirit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remains alive, despite the regional bloc’s prolonged inactivity, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS).
Yunus made the remarks during separate meetings with high-level delegations from South Asian countries who visited Dhaka to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He said he was deeply moved by the respect shown by SAARC member states toward the three-time prime minister, who was also the world’s second female Muslim head of government.
“We witnessed a true SAARC spirit at the funeral yesterday. SAARC is still alive. The SAARC spirit is still alive,” Yunus said during his meeting with Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labour Ali Haider Ahmed, according to BSS.
He echoed similar sentiments in his meeting with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath. “SAARC was in action yesterday. We shared our grief and sorrow together,” Yunus said.
Delegations attending the funeral from SAARC countries included Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Maldives Minister Ali Haider Ahmed, and Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Sardar Ayaz.
During the meetings, Yunus repeatedly underscored the need to revive SAARC as a platform for regional cooperation. He also recalled his earlier attempt to convene an informal meeting of SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“I wanted to hold a get-together among SAARC leaders, even if only for five minutes,” he said, expressing hope that SAARC could be revitalized as a meaningful forum for nearly two billion people in South Asia.
Established in 1985, SAARC was created to promote regional cooperation among South Asian countries. However, the organization has remained largely dysfunctional in recent years, with no summit-level meeting held since 2014. Tensions between key member states, particularly India and Pakistan, have stalled progress and prevented the convening of leaders’ summits.
Despite occasional diplomatic engagements and symbolic gestures, the prospects for the revival of SAARC in the near future remain slim, analysts say. Still, Yunus’s remarks reflect a renewed call for regional unity at a time of shared challenges across South Asia.
