The SAARC Cultural Capital Bogra

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. In terms of population, its sphere of influence is the largest of any regional organization. The combined population of its member states is almost 1.5 billion.  It is the most important association of this region that connects the member countries with a strong multilateral relation. It has many important organizations that operate various activities to achieve its ultimate goal, cooperation between South Asian Countries. The SAARC Cultural center is one of them. It is a regional center that promotes cultural cooperation in order to bring the people of South Asia closer and to project the distinct identity of South Asia.

The SAARC Cultural Centre launched a programme for designating a city amongst the SAARC Member countries as the SAARC Cultural Capital for a year during which a series of year-long cultural events with a national but with an overall South Asian dimension will be organized.

Every year, an archeologically and culturally rich city in the one of the 8 SAARC countries is declared as the cultural capital for that year. It was an outcome of Delhi Resolution which was adopted at the conference while preparing a road map on cultural ties till 2017. This development seeks at strengthening cultural ties among the people of SAARC nations. Bamiyan, a historic city of Afghanistan, is the current SAARC cultural capital for 2015-16.

Mahasthangarh, an iconic archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh has been pronounced the cultural capital of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation for the period of 2016-17.

A SAARC Cultural Centre team, led by its director Wasantha Kotuwella of Sri Lanka, made the announcement & the announcement will come into effect from 21 January next year. Honorable Prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate Mahasthangarh as the cultural capital of the SAARC on 21 January 2017. The event will be jointly organized by the SAARC Cultural Centre and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Bangladesh. Several cultural programmers, both locally as well as those with participation from the SAARC countries will take place during this period. As a SARRC cultural capital, the historic place will host festivals on literature, films, foods and dances from October 2016 to September 2017. Besides this, the year 2016-17 has also been declared the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage.

Mahashangarh is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. It dates back 3rd century BC and is located 11 km north of Bogra in Bangladesh. It was the ancient capital of Pundravardhana i.e. home of the Pundra, a group of people not speaking languages of the Indo-European family Background. Bairagir Bhita, Khodar Pathar Bhita, Mankalir Kunda Mound, Parasuram’s Palace Mound and Jiat Kunda are some sites in the city which have yielded archaeological objects of interest.

The SAARC cultural Capital can provide an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and it can help in fostering urban regeneration, boosting the city’s image and raising its visibility and profile on a regional and international scale. The decision of picking Mahasthangarh up for the SAARC cultural capital was correct and significant. The only declaration of the site as SARRC cultural capital would not make any difference. The authorities should come forward to utilize the cultural capital to promote our cultural tradition.