With economic cooperation and terrorism topping the agenda, the leaders of the seven South Asian nations meet today to discuss the wellbeing of 1.5 billion people, a large chunk of whom are mired in poverty, and increasingly in the clutches of terrorism... [ + ]

Two decades and
still nowhere
by Nazrul Islam
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, established on December 8, 1985, had generated high hopes among millions that the proposed cooperation would help bring betterment for the people of the poverty battered region... [ + ]

SAFTA loses out to selfish interests
by Nazmul Ahsan
Uncertainties loom large as the South Asian Free Trade Area agreement approaches its implementation deadline, with member states still at loggerheads on fundamental trade issues... [ + ]

SAFTA pledges,
SAFTA realities
by Titu Datta Gupta, Khawaza Main Uddin and Asjadul Kibria
The South Asian Free Trade Area was first envisaged as a successor to the South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement, with high-sounding political pledges and popular expectations that it would avert the circuitous and slow progress that characterised the earlier trade pact... [ + ]

Security dogs
SAARC agenda
by Abul Kalam Azad
Though not on the agenda of the SAARC Summit that kicks off in Dhaka today, one of the biggest issues expected to dominate discussions will be security. It is expected to figure prominently in discussions both at the summit as well as in the bilateral meetings the heads of state will have on the sidelines... [ + ]

Fourth SAARC Peoples’ Forum
Ridoypur Declaration
The SAARC Peoples Forum is a coalition of popular organisations involved in environment, development, women issues, human rights, issues of trafficking in women and children, livelihood security and food sovereignty in the South Asian countries. The SAARC Peoples forum was convened to facilitate articulation of a common regional voice and to influence government policies in SAARC member countries. The Fourth SAARC Peoples Forum was held during in Sept, 2005, jointly hosted by UBINIG, a policy research organisation, with Odhikar, a Human Rights Organisation in Bangladesh.
The Fourth SAARC Peoples Forum was held on 28-30 September, 2005 in Tangail, Bangladesh. It was organised by South Asia Network on Food Ecology and Culture (SANFEC) and Resistance Network against Trafficking in Women and Children and hosted by UBINIG and Odhikar. The total 87 participants were from countries of Pakistan, Nepal, India, Malaysia, UK and Bangladesh representing grass root organisations, academia, consumer activists, development organisations, media, farmers, fishers, women activists and lawyers. After two days of extensive discussions the Ridoypur declaration (according to the name of the venue) was adopted on 30 September 2005 expressing collective positions and articulation of collective voices on various issues such as i. Agriculture and Trade, ii. Natural Resource, Forest, Land Water and Rivers, iii. Migration and Trafficking, v. Food Sovereignty, vi. Technology and Population, vii. Human Rights and Peace Building and viii. Sovereignty and Security... [ + ]