Bangladesh has urged the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to "work hand in hand" with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

“It would equally be worthy to draw on the complementarities and good work advanced through other regional cooperation frameworks in our shared geography, namely SAARC. Most of the countries in this room are witnesses to the norms, institutions and practical mechanisms developed within SAARC over the past four decades, which have led to considerable convergence of ideas and initiatives,” said Defence Adviser to the Prime Minister Brigadier General AKM Shamsul Islam (retd) at the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' meeting, hosted by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Thursday.

“For instance, in tackling challenges such as disaster management, public health, food and energy security, and transnational crime. In our work, we can little afford to overlook the work already done. Bangladesh believes that both the regional cooperation processes, with their distinctive strengths, ought to move hand in hand,” reports The Print.

Shamsul said Dhaka, as the current BIMSTEC chair, is "ready to work with all member states" to build a more resilient region.

In recent months, Bangladesh has also been advocating for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the regional bloc comprising India and Pakistan among its members.

Dhaka's shift in position on SAARC began after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

Former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus also highlighted the need to revive the regional organisation.

Calls for reviving SAARC have continued since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office following the February 2026 national elections.

SAARC has remained inactive for a decade. The last SAARC summit, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016, was boycotted by India. Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka also withdrew from the summit.

SAARC has eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Over the past decade, India has focused on strengthening cooperation among the seven member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

India has promoted greater cooperation through BIMSTEC, whose members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

On September 26, 2025, Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs, said, "India's position is very clear on connectivity. We want to promote regional connectivity and collaboration. As far as SAARC is concerned, we have made our position very clear. There is one particular country that is responsible for holding up progress in SAARC, and you know which country that is."

Jaiswal has also said at several press briefings that New Delhi's emphasis on BIMSTEC is part of its broader focus on regional connectivity and cooperation.