Acting Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Barrister Kayser Kamal on Wednesday stressed the need to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), saying the regional bloc still has the potential to achieve its founding objectives through enhanced cooperation among South Asian nations.

He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with Nepal's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari, at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Kayser Kamal said SAARC, established at the initiative of martyred President Ziaur Rahman to promote regional cooperation and development, could once again play a meaningful role in advancing the shared interests of South Asian countries. 

He urged Nepal to take an active role in reviving the organisation, a proposal endorsed by the  Nepalese envoy.

Welcoming the formation of the Bangladesh-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group in Nepal's Federal Parliament, Kayser Kamal thanked Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal for the initiative. 

He expressed hope that a similar Bangladesh-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group would soon be established in the Jatiya Sangsad to strengthen dialogue on issues of mutual interest.

He said the friendship groups could reinforce parliamentary diplomacy by promoting people-to-people contacts, enhancing bilateral relations, facilitating reciprocal parliamentary visits, exchanging experiences on legislation and good governance, and coordinating on matters of common interest in international forums.

Referring to Bangladesh's import of electricity from Nepal, the Acting Speaker said the two countries had significant opportunities to deepen cooperation in education, culture, youth exchanges, water resources, energy, regional connectivity, trade and climate change.

Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari praised Bangladesh's progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to working more closely with the current democratic government.

He also commended Bangladesh's steady advancement across key development indicators and expressed confidence that the country would successfully graduate from the United Nations' Least Developed Country (LDC) category within the scheduled timeframe.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal Pratik Karki and Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, among others, were present at the meeting.

SM/CitizenTimes