Bangladesh wants People's SAARC

Bangladesh will make efforts to represent the people during the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Colombo, according to the Bangladesh foreign advisor.

"We will make best efforts to render the organization into a people's SAARC," Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said Monday evening before he departed for Colombo. Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed will lead Bangladesh to the 15th SAARC summit in the Sri Lankan capital on August 2-3.

"At this summit we will address the crucial issues of the day - food, energy, trade and climate change - among other things," the foreign adviser said. "On each of these issues Bangladesh will have significant points to make. At this point we are in the final phases of our preparatory process."

Ahmed said he will also sign the South Asian Development Fund (SADF) agreement which will be an important instrument for bringing visible, tangible and concrete benefits to the peoples of the member states.

The 15th SAARC Summit is set to adopt four agreements including SAARC Development Fund, South Asian Standards Co-ordination, South Asian Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters and Protocol of Afghanistan's accession to South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), according to reports.

AHN