Experts and business leaders have called for stronger regional cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan, particularly in energy trade, to help South Asia withstand supply disruptions and price volatility caused by geopolitical tensions.
Speaking at a recent roundtable on “Rewiring Global Trade” on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026, former Nepali parliamentarian Dibya Mani Rajbhandari proposed establishing a regional power hub involving the four countries.
He said wars, trade tensions and disruptions in global supply chains have pushed South Asian countries into an energy crisis, forcing them to procure energy at increasingly high prices. Greater cooperation in energy, trade and investment could help the region manage these external shocks, he added.
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association President Showkat Aziz Russell called for reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to strengthen regional trade, investment and energy cooperation, stressing that regional trade should benefit all member countries.
The roundtable was organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka as part of the three-day Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026.
