Non-tariff barriers to trade between South Asian countries are still a major hindrance to expected regional cooperation under the SAARC forum, thanks to relations and mistrust and attitude of the region’s ‘big fishes’.

Saying so, Rasheda K Chowdhury, an adviser to the interim government, further told a seminar on Saturday that there was lack of advocacy by the members of the civil society for pushing national governments to come to terms on critical issues such as increasing trade.

The civil society gathering called for reviewed role of the governments in ensuring the rights and welfare of the commoners protecting them from the ‘greedy hands of the market forces’ in the context of the crisis of the neo-liberal economic order leading to the recent financial meltdown.

The women and children affairs and primary and mass education adviser appreciated ‘Imagine a New South Asia’, a civil society initiative with acronym INSA beyond official channels for promotion of regional cooperation, but insisted that the members of the civil society needed to raise their voice to expedite the process of increasing regional trade.

‘Many of the formidable entrepreneurs are not going to join the fairs [in India] due to fear of non-tariff barriers to trade. Unfortunately, in a diverse South Asia region, we see the mighty states are taking advantage over the minnows,’ said Rasheda, herself a rights leader.

President of Bangladesh Economic Association Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad made a number of proposals to tap potentials of regional cooperation at the seminar on ‘Economic Management in South Asia in the context of new Global Experiences’ organised by the Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad, a local research organisation, at CIRDAP auditorium.

The proposals include Seed Bank for the farmers of the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and strengthening of SAARC Agriculture Information Centre for the benefit of peoples.

‘Agriculture and farmers should be brought to the forefront of the regional cooperation in South Asia,’ said Kholiquzzaman, the regional chief of the INSA movement.

Former caretaker government adviser CM Shafi Sami, another leader of INSA, pointed to increasing cooperation and communications between peoples and advocated undertaking mega-projects for the benefit of the peoples.

Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid which sponsored the seminar, suggested farmers’ cooperatives, women’s fund and joint programme for the expatriates of the South Asian countries to benefit from regional cooperation.

Later, five secondary students were awarded at the function for writing essays on a South Asia they dream of.