Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal M Humayun Kabir

Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal M Humayun Kabir
(File photo)

Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal M Humayun Kabir has said that implementation of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, would give substance to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The SAFTA agreement will come into force from January 1, 2006 as the 12th meeting of the SAARC Committee of Experts held in Kathmandu resolved all outstanding issues for the implementation of SAFTA agreement.

Speaking at a press conference at the Embassy in Kathmandu on Wednesday, ahead of the victory day of Bangladesh, Envoy Kabir said that the 13th SAARC summit that concluded on Dhaka had given new impetus to the regional body.

“The decision of the SAARC leaders to induct Afghanistan as a new member and to provide observer status to China and Japan is a great step to give pace to the South Asian regional body,” he added.

He expressed the hope that the decision of the 13th SAARC summit to reform and reorganize the SAARC organisations and to develop funding mechanism for regional projects would help to speed-up the SAARC process.

“The 13th summit had decided to celebrate 2006 as SAARC year of tourism, which would boost the tourism sector of the region,” he added.

Bangladesh is celebrating its victory day on 16th December to mark the day when Bangladesh achieved its independence from Pakistan after a valiant nine-month struggle, where three million Bengalis were slaughtered by the Pakistani army and their Bengali auxiliaries including Rajakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams.