SUB REGIONAL COOPERATION WITHIN SAARC COUNTRIES FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Sub Regionalism is a political approach for collective development between few countries with in the regional framework. It is a contemporary issue in SA, but it started much before in the Southeast Asia. Usually, it is focused for economic development and works on specific sectors. To be more precise, Sub Regionalism makes the cost effective blending of strength, weaknesses and potentials of all the member countries and offers a win-win productive deliverables. Sub Regionalism may look like growth platforms or a miniature version of their mother association being involved in more than growth objectives. SAARC was designed for improving quality of life of the people of the Indian subcontinent taking the advantage of historical and cultural linkage along with economic utilization of resources of SA. The journey of SAARC was never very encouraging because of many factors and predominantly it is the lack of trust between the member states. SAARC achieved many instruments of success through agreements and protocols, but none progressed much because the absence of political consensus. Some members of SAARC involved repeatedly in bilateral conflicts instead of building regionness. All these resulted negative growth in many dimensions in SA over last thirty years depriving the wellbeing of people. Since 1996, an initiative from Bangladesh was on to explore an alternative way for collective development of willing members of SAARC if not all. The proposal on the creation of a Sub Regional development platform involving BBIN opened the eyes and ears of these geographically contiguous countries. Though disagreed by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but BBIN carried out deliberate studies with assistance of the multilateral agencies on the viabilities of Sub Regional growth with respect to peace and economic development.  All studies confirmed the enormous potentials of Sub Regional cooperation, but indicated the prime necessity of achieving a level of trust among the stake holders. It is only the ‘Trust’ between BBIN which can ensure continuity of any Sub Regional platforms under any hazardous situation. In reality, it is India who need to take the maximum initiative in this regard and they really can create an environment of developing trust of smaller countries on her. It is to further note that, a successful BBINSC can make a revolution in SA as an example of cooperative platform.