September 24, 2025

Bangladesh’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, is making big waves! On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Yunus spoke with Sergio Gor, the US ambassador-designate to India and special envoy for South and Central Asia. The hot topic? Bringing back the long-lost SAARC summits that stopped after 2014. SAARC summits, held every two years, have been stuck in a freeze since the Kathmandu meeting. The 2016 Uri terrorist attack shattered plans for the next summit in Pakistan, and India has since refused to participate, accusing Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism. This has made the entire SAARC dialogue seem impossible. Yunus told Gor that the interim government in Bangladesh is working hard to revive SAARC. But India isn’t too excited. While India still supports SAARC activities in some areas, it blames Pakistan for blocking trade and connections. Instead, India is pushing regional cooperation through BIMSTEC, an alliance that does not include Pakistan. Interestingly, the US summary of what Yunus and Gor talked about only mentioned “regional cooperation” but didn’t name SAARC directly. Bangladesh hasn’t revealed Gor’s reaction. Meanwhile, India remains on high alert about any outside pressure to restart SAARC talks, especially if Pakistan hosts any summit—even a virtual one—considered impossible after the Pahalgam attack. India welcomes Gor’s appointment but stands guard against any US interference in South Asia, especially if it risks the region’s security. India is also watching closely Bangladesh’s growing ties with Pakistan, which worries New Delhi. Even though Bangladesh and Nepal want SAARC summits to happen again, India insists there’s no change from when the 19th summit—meant to be hosted by Pakistan—was postponed. India says no consensus exists among SAARC members for a meeting yet. Adding more spice to the story, India has been following a recent China-Pakistan-Bangladesh meeting in Kunming, worried it might be an attempt to build a new regional bloc. Dhaka denied this was aimed against any country. Besides SAARC, Yunus also discussed with Gor the ongoing Rohingya crisis and the “proliferation of disinformation targeting Dhaka,” bringing more serious matters into the spotlight. So, will SAARC see a comeback or stay frozen in time? The region watches eagerly as the drama continues!

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Tags: Saarc revival, Muhammad yunus, Sergio gor, India-pakistan relations, South asia, Us special envoy,