'Regional co-op bogged down in internal rifts'

"There is hardly any progress in forging fruitful cooperation among the member states, and inter-regional trade among SAARC nations is still less than five per cent," Ambassador Abul Ahsan, former secretary general of SAARC, told a seminar on security of South Asia and future of the regional body.

Bangladesh's initiative at the beginning of SAARC was viewed as a ploy of outside powers, and there was lack of commitment from some major countries in the region, he said.

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As a result, the South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement (SAPTA) has hardly taken off the ground even after several rounds of discussion, he said.

Besides, upgrading of SAPTA to the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) has missed the target, said Abul Ahsan.

Cooperation for social and economic development of the region has been bogged down in internal conflicts and political suspicion among South Asian countries, Lt Gen (retd) VK Singh from India told the daylong regional seminar to mark the silver jubilee of Bangladesh Institute of Interna-tional and Strategic Studies (BIISS).

Unlike ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), SAARC failed when it came to regional cooperation, regretted other speakers.

The seminar was also addressed by former foreign secretary of Bangladesh Barrister AKH Morshed, former chief justice Mostafa Kamal, Professor Lok Raj Boral from Nepal and Dr TP Frank De Silva from Sri Lanka.