Nepalese Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari. -File Photo

DHAKA, April 20, 2025 (BSS) - Nepalese Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari today 
said Dhaka and Kathmandu share identical views on advancing SAARC, stressing 
the need for renewed political will among member states to revive the 
regional cooperation platform. 

He made the remark as the guest of honor while addressing a seminar titled 
"Bangladesh-Nepal Bond: Towards New Heights" organized by the Bangladesh 
Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium in 
the capital.

The envoy noted that the last SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014, and 
no further summits have taken place since then. Since that time, Nepal has 
been serving as the Chair of SAARC.

Although the technical committees and working groups of SAARC remain active, 
there has been limited progress at the political level, he observed. 

Ambassador Bhandari said that without unanimous consent from all member 
states, it is not possible to move forward the SAARC. 

Highlighting the growing bilateral ties between Dhaka and Kathmandu, the 
ambassador said the two countries share strong geographical, historical, 
cultural and economic bonds. 

He noted that in recent years, there has been substantial progress in the 
areas of trade, connectivity, energy cooperation and people-to-people 
contact.

This expanding partnership holds immense potential for mutual development and 
deeper regional integration, Bhandari said.

He pointed out that as a landlocked country, Nepal can benefit from using 
Bangladeshi ports to facilitate international trade. 

Conversely, Bangladesh could meet its growing energy demands through the 
import of renewable hydropower from Nepal.

Noting that Enhanced physical connectivity is crucial for facilitating trade 
and promoting people-to-people engagement, the envoy stressed the importance 
of improving road, rail and air links between the two nations. 

At the seminar, Professor Dr Niloy Ranjan Biswas of the Department of 
International Relations at the University of Dhaka echoed similar sentiments 
on regional cooperation and bilateral synergies.

BIISS Chairman Ambassador A F M Gausul Azam Sarker presided over the seminar, 
while BIISS Director General Major General Md Iftekhar Anis delivered the 
welcome address.