Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus -File photo

DHAKA, Jan 1, 2026 (BSS) - Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has reiterated the need to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), saying that the SAARC spirit is "alive and well" following the presence of several regional leaders at the funeral of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

The Chief Adviser made the remarks as several regional leaders met him after joining the funeral process of three-time former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam disclosed the matter at a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon.

Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Foreign Minister of Bhutan D.N. Dhungyel, External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Nepal Bala Nanda Sharma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath and Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development of the Republic of Maldives Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed were present at the funeral process of Begum Zia.

Of them, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Nepal's Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma met the Chief Adviser on Wednesday, Shafiqul Alam said.
 
Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development of the Republic of Maldives Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath met Professor Yunus this afternoon, he added.

During these interactions, the press secretary said Prof Yunus conveyed the same message to all that SAARC must be revived anyhow. 

The Chief Adviser said that the fact that leaders from across the region came together to pay tribute to Begum Khaleda Zia and showed respect to her memory clearly demonstrated that the spirit of SAARC still exists. 

"The SAARC spirit is alive and well. We must preserve the spirit of SAARC," Prof Yunus said.

Shafiqul Alam said that the visiting foreign dignitaries were overwhelmed by the scale and dignity of the funeral. 

He added that they told Professor Yunus that they had never witnessed such a massive funeral while they praised the way it was conducted with discipline.

The press secretary said the foreign dignitaries paid tribute to three-time former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and expressed their condolences to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.