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Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Professor Mohammad Yunus, has said that the spirit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remains alive, despite the regional bloc’s prolonged inactivity, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS).

Yunus made the remarks during separate meetings with high-level delegations from South Asian countries who visited Dhaka to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He said he was deeply moved by the respect shown by SAARC member states toward the three-time prime minister, who was also the world’s second female Muslim head of government.

“We witnessed a true SAARC spirit at the funeral yesterday. SAARC is still alive. The SAARC spirit is still alive,” Yunus said during his meeting with Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labour Ali Haider Ahmed, according to BSS.

He echoed similar sentiments in his meeting with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath. “SAARC was in action yesterday. We shared our grief and sorrow together,” Yunus said.

Delegations attending the funeral from SAARC countries included Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Maldives Minister Ali Haider Ahmed, and Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Sardar Ayaz.

During the meetings, Yunus repeatedly underscored the need to revive SAARC as a platform for regional cooperation. He also recalled his earlier attempt to convene an informal meeting of SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations 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 could be revitalized as a meaningful forum for nearly two billion people in South Asia.

Established in 1985, SAARC was created to promote regional cooperation among South Asian countries. However, the organization has remained largely dysfunctional in recent years, with no summit-level meeting held since 2014. Tensions between key member states, particularly India and Pakistan, have stalled progress and prevented the convening of leaders’ summits.

Despite occasional diplomatic engagements and symbolic gestures, the prospects for the revival of SAARC in the near future remain slim, analysts say. Still, Yunus’s remarks reflect a renewed call for regional unity at a time of shared challenges across South Asia.

The Government of Nepal has extended its sincere gratitude to the Government of the State of Qatar for the Amiri Amnesty granted to the 13 Nepali inmates on the occasion of the National Day of the State of Qatar and the International Human Rights Day.

"The Ministry highly values the kind gesture of pardon granted on humanitarian ground as the manifestation of deepening friendship and cordiality in the existing bilateral relations between Nepal and the State of Qatar," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release on Thursday.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged the concerned side to transport most essential election related materials for the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) elections. 

For the transportation of the election materials, helicopter, truck, and container will be used. 

The EC has urged the firms and companies operating courier services to get enlisted for the purpose of delivering election related materials. Interested firms or companies are requested to apply for the enlistment after completing all required conditions. 

The Commission has requested the submission of copies of the certification (permission) obtained from the relevant authority to operate the service, VAT registration certificate, tax clearance certificate up to the fiscal year 2081/82, and the certificate of turnover for the past three fiscal years. 

The firm or company providing helicopter rental service must have a minimum average annual turnover of Rs 30 million in the past three fiscal years. 

Those providing trucks and container service must submit turnover details of Rs 10 million, and for courier services, Rs 3 million. 

Companies interested in providing courier services must submit an application along with the details of their courier offices and representatives in all 77 districts, including telephone and mobile numbers. 

The Commission has stated that if an application for enlistment is submitted in more than one category, such application will not be processed. 

The Commission holds all rights to take the decision regarding the enlistment of service providing firm or company, it is stated. 

Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have cancelled the party’s regular 15th general convention, which was scheduled to begin in the last week of Poush. Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, the two leaders said the party’s immediate alternative is now to move toward a special general convention.

According to the statement, a meeting held on Mangsir 15 had decided that the schedule for the regular general convention would be approved by a subsequent meeting. However, the general secretaries said the convention has been postponed through the same notice as preparatory tasks and earlier schedules could not be revised and accelerated in line with the target of holding the regular convention on time. As a result, they said, the entire schedule was affected and rendered ineffective, creating confusion and uncertainty within the party.

The statement further notes that a special general convention has again emerged as the viable option. It says that the primary intention was to address the demand for a special convention—submitted to the central office with signatures of 54 percent of general convention representatives—through the regular convention. However, as it is no longer possible to hold the regular convention within the stipulated timeframe, the special general convention has become the alternative. In line with Article 17(2) of the party statute, the general secretaries said addressing the demand for a special general convention is the responsibility of the central office and that related processes will be taken forward, as far as possible, through consensus.