DHAKA, May 5, 2025 (BSS) - The 39th 'SAARCFINANCE Coordinators' meeting was organized by the SAARCFINANCE Wing, Research Department of Bangladesh Bank (BB), at Hotel InterContinental in the city on Friday

Dr Md Habibur Rahman, Deputy Governor of BB chaired the meeting session, said a press release today. 

The event brought together SAARCFINANCE representatives from member central banks across South Asia, including those present in-person from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka and those attending online from Bhutan and Pakistan.

As convener of the said meeting, Dr. Sayera Younus warmly welcomed all participants, both in-person and online, to the 39th SAARCFINANCE Coordinators' Meeting in Dhaka. Dr. Sayera mentioned that BB has taken the responsibility of SAARCFINANCE Chair from Central Bank of Sri Lanka in October 2024 until October 2025. 

As a chair of SAARCFINANCE, she reaffirmed this network's commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and looking forward to continued collaboration among SAARC central banks. 

She also underscored the significance of the meeting in reviewing progress, enhancing institutional links, and preparing for the upcoming 47th Governors' Group Meeting and Symposium in June 2025. 

There will be SAARC member countries paper presentations at the Symposium focusing on the theme of 'Financial Inclusion and Central Banking: Bridging Gaps in the SAARC Region. Dr. Sayera expressed gratitude to the guests and encouraged foreign delegates to explore Dhaka's cultural heritage at the end of her welcome remarks.

Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman in his discussion emphasized the importance of SAARCFINANCE network in fostering regional integration through dialogue, seminars, workshops, and collaborative research studies. 

The delegates reviewed the progress on the SAARCFINANCE Roadmap of Cooperation, with a focus on the 2025-2030 frameworks. There were also discussions on Financial Inclusion Learning Series, the Working Group on Sustainable Finance, the SAARCFINANCE Database and the SAARC Payment Council. 

The enhancement of SAARCFINANCE Scholarship Scheme's funding was also appreciated in this meeting, where central bank and Ministry of Finance officials in this region are pursuing PhD and Masters' program.

The continued collaboration on macroeconomic, financial, and inclusive development issues, especially in the context of shared challenges like climate change was highlighted in this meeting. In conclusion, Dr Rahman requested all the Coordinators and Alternate Coordinators of SAARCFINANCE to convey the message to their Governor for gracious presence in the upcoming 47th Governors' Group Meeting.

The SAARCFINANCE Network originated from the 10th SAARC Summit held in Colombo on July 29, 1998. 

The Heads of the State or government of the SAARC Region agreed, in principle, to establish a "Network of Central Bank Governors and Finance Secretaries of the SAARC Region (SAARCFINANCE)" to facilitate dialogues on macro-economic policies extending cooperation.