DHAKA, March 2: South Asia will not live up to its potential unless member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) overcome their mutual mistrust, speakers told a seminar on possible implications of the postponement of the 13th Saarc summit.

The seminar on Tuesday, styled as Postponement of the Saarc Summit: Implications for the Future, was organized in the capital city by the Centre for Strategic and Peace Studies with the centres president, M. Ataur Rahman, in the chair.

In his extempore keynote address, Professor Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the Dhaka based Centre for Policy Dialogue, stressed continuation of official negotiations and unofficial regional cooperation despite the postponement of the summit. We cannot afford to abandon the Saarc process.

He also said it was necessary to agree on certain norms on postponement of the summit, aiming to preclude future concerns. Generalized ground rules should be worked out after mutual consultation.

Prof Ataur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Political Science Association, who teaches political science at the University of Dhaka, said the countrys diplomatic strategy needs critical Rethinking.

Bangladesh cannot use its geopolitical advantages since it only reacts and does not act. It should not get trapped in the South Asia cycle. The 12th summit of the seven-nation regional forum in Islamabad was a precursor to many ideas and activities such as the framework agreement on the South Asian Free Trade Area, he said. He criticized India for its attempts to undermine the role of other actors in South Asia.