Bangladesh prepares for SAARC summit

August 26, 2005
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Amid security concerns caused by the serial blasts that rocked the country last week, Bangladesh is pressing ahead with preparations for the twice-postponed 13th SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Dhaka on Nov 12-13, news reports said.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin told reporters in Dhaka Thursday, “We don’t see any reasons for not holding the summit. The preparations are going on in full swing. “We don’t think that (the Aug 17 blasts) will affect the holding of the summit.”

New Age, a Bangladeshi newspaper, quoted Hemayetuddin as saying that all-out preparations were being made to make the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) a success and to ensure safety.

Over 400 small bombs went off almost simultaneously in Bangladesh last week killing two people and injuring 150. The blasts led to countries including India expressing concern about the security situation in the country.

But Hemayetuddin said foolproof security would be ensured in the Bangladeshi capital before SAARC leaders start arriving for the summit of the seven-nation grouping.

He announced tentative dates for pre-summit meetings and said these would be confirmed after consultations with member countries.

Before the summit, SAARC’s programming committee will meet Nov 8, the standing committee of SAARC foreign secretaries Nov 9-10 and the council of SAARC foreign ministers Nov 10-11.

The summit, that was scheduled to be held in Dhaka on Jan 9-11 this year, was postponed because of the Dec 26 tsunami last year that hit SAARC members India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

It was then rescheduled for Feb 6-7 but was again cancelled as India refused to attend following the royal takeover in Nepal and security concerns in Bangladesh after the assassination of former minister Shah A.M.S. Kibria, a leader of the opposition Awami League.

Established two decades ago, SAARC has seven South Asian nations as its members.