Wednesday, February 2 2005 22:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: Reacting strongly to India's decision not to attend the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit, host Bangladesh today (Feb 2, 2005) termed it as "unwarranted and unexpected" and rejected as "unacceptable" New Delhi's security concerns.

"It is regretted that once again a SAARC Summit has been postponed at the last moment because of a decision by the Government of India," Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Dhaka.

It said such postponements go counter to the spirit and letter of the SAARC Charter, which precludes Member States from raising bilateral or contentious issues.

"It is a sad commentary for South Asia that its largest Member State should retract its commitment to the Charter on this excuse," the ministry said.

"We are shocked and dismayed at the unwarranted and unexpected decision of the Government of India not to attend the 13th SAARC Summit when all preparations were completed to keep up the SAARC spirit and process alive," Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told reporters.

Reading from a prepared statement, he said, "The reason given for this decision as far as it relates to the 'security situation' in Dhaka are unacceptable and is rejected outright."

Dhaka had placed a "comprehensive and blanket security for the Summit, and "all Indian security concerns were fully considered and accommodated," he said.

"It is ironic that India undertook to announce the decision when a security assessment team was still in Dhaka and consulting with our security agencies," he said.

On the situation in Nepal following Kind Gyanendra's decision to take charge of the Himalayan kingdom for three years, Chowdhury said, "With regards to the neighbourhood it is a shared belief that SAARC should not be held hostage to bilateral considerations."

The capital city underwent a major facelift for the Summit with colourful buntings and banners across this city of 12 million people.

The Dhaka Government said they had completed all formalities to host the Summit, which returns to the place of its birth, the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, after 20 years.

SAARC founded in 1985 groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives.