Dhaka, Feb 14 (V7N) — Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has pledged to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) after forming the government.

Speaking at his first post-election press conference on Saturday (February 14), Tarique Rahman said, “Bangladesh was the initiator of SAARC. Naturally, we would like SAARC to be revived. BNP will take the initiative in this regard after forming the government and will engage in dialogue with neighboring countries.”

SAARC was originally proposed by former President Ziaur Rahman in the early 1980s, with the first summit held in Dhaka in 1985. However, due to bilateral tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, the organization’s activities have been limited. The planned summit in Islamabad in 2019 was canceled, and the last SAARC summit took place in Kathmandu in 2014.

Tarique Rahman’s statement signals the BNP’s intention to revive regional cooperation and dialogue in South Asia, reflecting Bangladesh’s historical role in initiating SAARC.

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