The present age is an age of co-operation and developing international relations. With the process of globalisation, countries of the world are coming closer to one another and forming different organisations or alliances for mutual benefit. Different nations of a particular global region unite in a common platform, and share and co-operate among themselves, discuss their problems and work together to achieve their goals. SAARC is such an organisation.
SAARC is an acronym which stands for South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation. As it is clear from the name, SAARC is a regional platform for co-operation. SAARC member countries are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Recently Afganistan has been recognised as the eighth member of SAARC nations. Besides, UN, OIC, EU, China have member the observer status of SAARC.
SAARC is the brain child of Late President of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. In order to form a co-operative family of Bangladesh's neighbouring countries, he toured the seven countries in 1980 and tried to convince the head of the states to come under the same umbrella where they work to solve their common problems. His dreams finally came into being in 1981 when the foreign secretaries of seven countries met in Colombo to greas many came nural decide the fields of co-operation. Agriculture, rural developments, telecommunication, weather, health and commun family planning, poverty alleviation (fa) and scientific development were set as the fields of co marchin operation. But it was not until 1985 that SAARC started its marching steps ahead.
SAARC summit is the regular meeting of the heads of the SAARC states. The first summit of SAARC was held in Dhaka on 7 December 1985. In the concluding session of the conference on 8 December, the heads of the ence states of SAARC countries adopted a three point declaration called the historic Dhaka declaration. The next summit was held in Bangalore at the end of the year 1986. In this summit it was decided that secretariat, would be set up in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The subsequent summits were held by rotation a permanent in the SAARC states excluding Bhutan. Bangladesh hosted second SAARC summit in 1993, and the third in 2005. In the Dhaka summit in 2005, Afganistan has been given the membership status and Japan and China have been given the status of observer status.
SAARC countries have started working to establish a Free Trade Area (FTA) which will increase their internal trade and lessen the trade gap of some states considerably. They have also agreed to establish a SAARCH university in India, a food Bank in Pakistan and also an Energy reserve. They have also signed a preferential agreement on social charter which includes issues like Poverty Reduction, Education, Health, Women Empowerment, Child Rights etc.
Whatever the gains of SAARC so far may be it is the only platform where the state leaders meet and discuss issues. SAARC is an organisation of about 150 crore of people. It is their hope and aspiration. It is upto the SAARC leaders to work together for developed, peaceful and prosperous South Asia. Bangladesh as a pioneering nation of SAARC, should play the leading role in this regard. But other countries must join hands, otherwise the goals of SAARC will remain far-off.
