Online Desk: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad 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.

 

Professor 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.

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High-level delegations from across South Asia attended the funeral in Dhaka, including Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq; India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar; Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma; Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath; Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel and Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labour Ali Haider Ahmed.

 

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.

 

They said they were overwhelmed by the record-breaking turnout at the funeral. “It shows how much people truly loved her,” Professor Yunus remarked.

 

During the meetings, Professor Yunus repeatedly emphasized 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.

 

Professor 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 revitalized as a meaningful platform for nearly two billion people in South Asia.

 

The upcoming national elections featured prominently in the discussions. Professor Yunus said Bangladesh was fully prepared to hold free, fair, and peaceful elections on February 12. 

 

He told the 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.

 

Professor 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.