Abstract:
The paper attempts to highlight the ways and the different strategies in which the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries can attain economic emancipation by taking lessons from ASEAN (Association of South Asian Nations), a
regional body of some East Asian countries. ASEAN came out to be a very successful
forum, which was formed to accelerate the economic growth and social development to
raise the living standards of their people. Members of the ASEAN, to be noted here, were
economically lagging behind the countries of this sub-continent even in mid- sixties. By
moving speedily and steadily with integrated endeavourer, ASEAN countries became the
fastest growing economic region of the world. For example, having started roughly on
similar per capita income, Singapore, after three decades, enjoys about eighty five times
higher than Bangladeshi per capita income. The paper will, then, delve into ASEAN’s
economic arena and find out how they succeeded. Dwelling briefly on the genesis of
SAARC, this paper will ascertain the causes of failures of this body and explore the ways
and means it can replicate ASEAN’s successes in its quest for economic emancipation so as to emerget as an Asian economic powerhouse.
