Dhaka : Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh's Chief Advisor of the Interim Government, on Thursday gave a call to revitalise the South-Asian regional grouping SAARC, as several leaders were present in Dhaka to pay tributes on the demise of former Bangladesh PM Begum Khaleda Zia.
Yunus on Thursday said that "the SAARC spirit is alive and well", citing the strong presence and solidarity shown by South Asian nations at the funeral of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. "Yunus said he was deeply moved by the respect demonstrated by SAARC member states for the three-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the world's second female Muslim head of government", the post said.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The post noted that high-level delegations from across South Asia attended the funeral in Dhaka. These included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Nepal's Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labour Ali Haider Ahmed and the Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
"Later, the Pakistan parliamentary speaker and ministers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives paid courtesy calls on the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna. The visiting dignitaries paid glowing tributes to the late Begum Khaleda Zia, recalling her lifelong struggle for democracy and her efforts to promote unity and cooperation among South Asian nations", the post added.
It further mentioned, "During the meetings, Professor Yunus repeatedly emphasised the need to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). "We witnessed a true SAARC spirit at the funeral yesterday. SAARC is still alive. The SAARC spirit is still alive," he said during his meeting with Maldives Minister Ali Haider Ahmed.
"The SAARC was in action yesterday. We shared our grief and sorrow together," he told Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. Yunus also recalled his attempt to convene an informal gathering of SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the UN 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 would be revitalised as a meaningful platform for nearly two billion people in South Asia. The post noted that the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh were a key focus of discussions, with Yunus stating that Bangladesh is prepared to hold free, fair, and peaceful elections on February 12.
He told Pakistan parliamentary speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq that he would return to his previous professional role after the elections. During the meetings, the Sri Lankan and Nepalese foreign ministers said they were closely following Bangladesh's introduction of postal voting for its large expatriate population.
"Yunus said that around 700,000 Bangladeshis living and working abroad have registered for postal ballots after the interim government introduced the system for the first time in the country's history. 'We will learn from your experiences,' Sri Lankan Minister Vijitha Herath said," the post concluded.
Bangladesh on Wednesday held the Namaz-e-Janaza of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, where thousands assembled to pay their final respects to the veteran leader. The funeral prayer was led by the khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan oversaw the proceedings.
Following the Namaz-e-Janaza, it was announced that Khaleda Zia was laid to rest beside her husband, former president Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital. The funeral drew wide regional attention, with multiple South Asian nations dispatching senior representatives to Dhaka to attend the state funeral, The Daily Star reported.