Bangladesh Pushes SAARC Agenda, India Stays Away Amid Pakistan Tensions

Dhaka: Bangladesh is actively seeking to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), even as India maintains a hands-off approach. The move comes as Pakistan and Bangladesh attempt to inject new life into the organization, which has been largely dormant since 2016.

Bangladesh Reaffirms Commitment to SAARC

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaid Islam, recently met SAARC Secretary General Mohammad Gulam Sarwar to discuss ways to advance regional cooperation. A statement from Dhaka emphasized Bangladesh’s “strong support for SAARC processes and commitment to working with member states to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.”

Islam highlighted Bangladesh’s historical role in promoting regional collaboration, citing late President Ziaur Rahman, who envisioned SAARC in the 1980s as a platform to improve living standards and strengthen mutual self-reliance. As a founding member and host of the first SAARC summit in December 1985, Bangladesh continues to stress the organization’s importance amid shifting regional and global dynamics.

India Focuses Elsewhere

Despite Bangladesh’s efforts, India has largely disengaged from SAARC. New Delhi has suspended talks with Pakistan on regional cooperation due to ongoing terrorism-related disputes, including its boycott of the SAARC summit in Islamabad after the 2016 Uri attack. India now prefers BIMSTEC, a regional grouping that excludes Pakistan, allowing it to advance its “Neighborhood First” and “Act East” policies without obstruction.

Pakistan and Bangladesh Seek Strategic Relevance

For Pakistan, reviving SAARC offers a chance to regain regional relevance and counterbalance India. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and other strategists advocated revitalizing SAARC. Reports suggest that Pakistan has even explored including China in SAARC to diminish India’s influence.

Bangladeshi officials see SAARC as a platform to reduce dependence on India, while Pakistan hopes the organization could serve as a forum to collectively challenge India’s regional dominance. Currently, Bangladesh remains the primary driver for reactivating SAARC, with Pakistan seeking to leverage it for strategic advantage.