Bangladesh working to revive Saarc, pursuing Asean membership: CA Yunus 

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said his government is simultaneously working to breathe life back into the long-dormant South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) while also pushing for eventual membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Speaking during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Yunus described Dhaka’s foreign policy as “bridge-building” between South and Southeast Asia. “Our application for a Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN is the first step toward eventual full membership,” he explained.
The wide-ranging talks touched on Bangladesh’s domestic politics, UN reform, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the government’s energy diplomacy in seeking hydropower imports from Nepal and Bhutan. Stubb had asked Yunus about the direction of Bangladesh’s interim administration, which took power in August last year after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Yunus highlighted that international backing for the interim authorities had been strong. “Over the past 14 months, global support for our government has been overwhelming,” he said, underscoring the legitimacy he believes the caretaker administration has secured on the world stage.
On Bangladesh’s political transition, the Nobel laureate reiterated that elections are scheduled for February and pledged they would be “free, fair, and credible,” with some 126 million citizens eligible to vote. “Our people have been deprived of a genuine election for 15 years. Now they are waiting with hope and anticipation,” he said.
He also briefed Stubb on sweeping political and institutional reforms being advanced under the interim government. Political parties, Yunus noted, are expected to sign a “July Charter” — a landmark agreement that will codify key reforms recommended by 11 national commissions, aimed at ensuring long-term democratic stability.
The conversation also touched on one of Bangladesh’s biggest humanitarian burdens: the continued hosting of over one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar. Yunus stressed the urgency of more international aid to support the displaced population and the host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Beyond politics and humanitarian issues, both leaders discussed the importance of regional connectivity. Yunus underlined Bangladesh’s role as a strategic hub, pointing out that access to the Chattogram Port offers lifelines for landlocked Nepal and Bhutan, as well as India’s northeastern states, in strengthening trade and transport corridors across South Asia.
By linking SAARC with ASEAN, Yunus argued, Bangladesh could emerge as a critical player in connecting two of Asia’s most important regional blocs.