Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari, on Sunday stated that Bangladesh and Nepal hold similar perspectives regarding the revitalization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
He emphasized that Nepal, being a landlocked country, sees significant potential in utilizing Bangladeshi ports to facilitate international trade and boost regional cooperation.
The ambassador made these observations while speaking at a seminar titled "Bangladesh-Nepal Bond: Towards New Heights," organized by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIS) in Dhaka on Sunday.
Highlighting the scope for bilateral collaboration, Mr. Bhandari noted that Bangladesh could greatly benefit from importing clean and renewable hydropower from Nepal to meet its increasing energy demands. He stressed that physical connectivity—especially through road, rail, and air routes—remains both a major challenge and an opportunity. Improving this connectivity, he said, is vital for enhancing trade and communication between the two nations.
Referring to SAARC’s stagnation, the ambassador stated that the last summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014, and since then, no subsequent summit or ministerial meeting has taken place due to lack of consensus among member states. While technical committees and working groups under SAARC continue to operate, significant political-level progress has been absent. Nevertheless, he affirmed that both Bangladesh and Nepal remain committed to advancing regional body’s objectives.
Bhandari further remarked that Bangladesh and Nepal enjoy close geographical proximity and share strong historical, cultural, and economic bonds. In recent years, the relationship between two countries has seen substantial progress in areas such as trade, connectivity, energy cooperation, and people-to-people engagement. He described the growing partnership as one that holds immense promise for mutual growth and regional integration.
The seminar also featured remarks from Dr. Niloy Ranjan Biswas, Professor of International Relations at University of Dhaka. Participants in open session highlighted the strategic value of Bangladesh-Nepal partnership in contributing to regional peace and prosperity.
They observed that both countries are seeking to diversify their foreign engagements and reduce dependency on traditional alignments, suggesting that the cooperation between Dhaka and Kathmandu could serve as a model for pragmatic diplomacy in South Asia.
The session was chaired by BIS Chairman Ambassador AFM Gausul Azam Sarkar, while BIS Director General Major General Iftekhar Anis delivered the welcome address.
