Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus Advocates SAARC Spirit Amidst Remaining Mum On Atrocities Against Hindus.

Dhaka; January 2026: Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor of the Interim Government, on Thursday gave a call to revitalise the South-Asian regional grouping SAARC, as several leaders were present in Dhaka to pay tributes on the demise of former Bangladesh PM Begum Khaleda Zia.

Yunus on Thursday – 01st January 2026 have said that “the SAARC spirit is alive and well”, citing the strong presence and solidarity shown by South Asian nations at the funeral of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. “Yunus said he was deeply moved by the respect demonstrated by SAARC member states for the three time Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the world’s second female Muslim head of government”, the post said.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental entity and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The post noted that high-level delegations from across South Asia attended the funeral in Dhaka. These included Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labour Ali Haider Ahmed and the Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

“Later, the Pakistan parliamentary speaker and ministers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives paid courtesy calls on the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna. The visiting dignitaries paid glowing tributes to the late Begum Khaleda Zia, recalling her lifelong struggle for democracy and her efforts to promote unity and cooperation among South Asian nations”, the post added. It further mentioned, “During the meetings, Professor Yunus repeatedly emphasised the need to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). “We witnessed a true SAARC spirit at the funeral yesterday. SAARC is still alive. The SAARC spirit is still alive”, he said during his meeting with Maldives Minister Ali Haider Ahmed.

“The SAARC was in action yesterday We shared our grief and The SAARC was in action yesterday. We shared our grief and sorrow together”, he told Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. Yunus also recalled his attempt to convene an informal gathering of SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “I wanted to hold a get-together among SAARC leaders, even if only for five minutes”, he said, expressing hope that SAARC would be revitalised as a meaningful platform for nearly two billion people in South Asia.

The post noted that the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh were a key focus of discussions, with Yunus stating that Bangladesh is prepared to hold free, fair, and peaceful elections on February 12. He told Pakistan parliamentary speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq that he would return to his previous professional role after the elections. During the meetings, the Sri Lankan and Nepalese foreign ministers said they were closely following Bangladesh’s introduction of postal voting for its large expatriate population.

“Yunus said that around 700,000 Bangladeshis living and working abroad have registered for postal ballots after the interim government introduced the system for the first time in the country’s history. ‘We will learn from your experiences’”, Sri Lankan Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Meanwhile, the atrocities on selective Hindu’s in Bangladesh remains prevalent; A Hindu garment factory security guard, identified as Bajendra Biswas (42), was shot dead inside the factory premises after a colleague allegedly opened fire using a government-issued shotgun during duty hours. Police said the accused, Noman Mia (29), was also serving as an Ansar member at the same factory unit.

Earlier on 18th December 2025, 27 years old Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was brutally killed in Mymensingh, triggering international concern over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. Das was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy, and his body was subsequently set on fire.

Former Diplomat KP Fabian said India must rely on diplomacy while dealing with the situation in Bangladesh amid growing concerns over reported violence and instability in the country against religious minorities. He said there have been repeated attacks, including incidents targeting Hindus, and described the situation as one of “anarchy”, stressing that India cannot afford to remain “diplomatically inactive”.

Speaking to reporters, Fabian on Thursday said, “It may not be the fourth attack. There have been many attacks on Hindus. There is anarchy in Bangladesh. India has to use diplomacy. Yunus is technically in charge. So, can we stop talking to him? We cannot and we should not. Did the foreign minister meet with Yunus? No. India seems to be diplomatically inactive”.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in Dhaka and conveyed India’s deepest condolences on the death of his mother, former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “On arrival in Dhaka, met with Mr. Tarique Rahman @trahmanbnp, Acting Chairman of BNP and son of former PM of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia”. He said he handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tarique Rahman.

“Handed over to him a personal letter from Prime Minister @narendramodi. Conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the Government and people of India”, Jaishankar said. He also expressed confidence in Khaleda Zia’s legacy and its relevance to bilateral ties. “Expressed confidence that Begum Khaleda Zia’s vision and values will guide the development of our partnership”, he added.

Team Maverick.