Press Release

SG calls on Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh

As part of his introductory visits to the Member States, H. E. Mr. Arjun B. Thapa, Secretary-General of SAARC, visited Dhaka from 24 to 25 April 2014. He returned to Kathmandu on 28 April 2014.

During the visit, H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC paid a courtesy call on Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on 24 April 2014. During the meeting, H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC apprised H. E. the Prime Minister about the current state of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC, with particular reference to the Eighteenth SAARC Summit to be hosted by Nepal in November 2014.

H. E. the Prime Minister congratulated H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC on assuming charge as Secretary-General of SAARC. She expressed firm commitment of the Government of Bangladesh to the SAARC process for the common good of peoples in the region.

During the visit, H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC also called on H. E. Mr. Md. Shahriar Alam, MP, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and H. E. Mr. Md. Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh on separate occasions on 24 April 2014. During these meetings, H. E. the Secretary-General highlighted the important decisions taken by the Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings held in the Maldives in February 2014.

H. E. the Secretary-General attended a luncheon hosted in his honour by the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh on 24 April 2014.

While in Dhaka, H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC also visited the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) based in Dhaka.

H.E. the Secretary-General of SAARC was accompanied by Mr. Tareque Muhammad, Director during the introductory visit.

Following his introductory visit, H. E. the Secretary-General attended the Second Meeting of the Cabinet Secretaries of the SAARC Member States held in Dhaka from 26 to 27 April 2014