In the history of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), who served as the first Chairman at the time of the organisation founding summit?

Introduction / Context:
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, commonly known as SAARC, is an organisation created to promote regional cooperation among South Asian countries. Knowing its early leadership is part of general awareness about regional organisations. The first summit and chairmanship are often asked in exams focusing on international organisations and Indian foreign policy, because India is a founding member and South Asia is its immediate neighbourhood.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the first Chairman of SAARC.
• Options list leaders from South Asian countries, including Mr. Zia ur Rehman, Lt.Gen H.M.Ershad, King Birendra and Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
• We assume knowledge that SAARC first summit took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the mid nineteen eighties.

Concept / Approach:
Key facts include the location of the first SAARC summit and the head of state who hosted it. The founding summit was held in Dhaka in 1985, and the leader of Bangladesh at that time was President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, a military officer often referred to as Lieutenant General. Therefore, he served as the first Chairman of SAARC. The approach is to identify which option names this leader correctly and to eliminate other leaders who were important in the region but did not chair the first SAARC meeting.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that SAARC was founded in 1985 with its first summit in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.Step 2: Remember that at that time Bangladesh was led by President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, a military ruler with the rank of Lieutenant General.Step 3: Look at the options. Option B, Lt.Gen H.M.Ershad, clearly refers to this leader.Step 4: Option A, Mr. Zia ur Rehman, refers to a former president of Bangladesh who was assassinated before 1985 and therefore could not be the first SAARC Chairman.Step 5: Option C, King Birendra, was the king of Nepal at that time but did not chair the first summit.Step 6: Option D, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, had been prime minister of India earlier but she was assassinated in 1984, before the first SAARC summit.Step 7: Therefore, option B is the only correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Information about SAARC history in reference books and exam guides confirms that the first summit took place in Dhaka in December 1985 and that the first Chairman was President H. M. Ershad of Bangladesh. Lists of SAARC Chairpersons typically begin with his name. Zia ur Rehman is listed as an earlier president of Bangladesh, King Birendra is noted as a monarch of Nepal and Indira Gandhi as an Indian prime minister, but none are marked as the first SAARC Chairman. This cross check reinforces that Lt.Gen H.M.Ershad is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Mr. Zia ur Rehman is wrong because he died in 1981 and SAARC was formally launched in 1985, so he could not preside over its first summit. King Birendra is wrong because although Nepal is a member of SAARC, he did not host or chair the founding summit. Mrs. Indira Gandhi is wrong because she passed away in 1984 and also was not the head of the host country for the first meeting. These leaders played other significant roles in South Asian politics but not the specific role of first SAARC Chairman.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up South Asian leaders with similar sounding names or confuse different time periods in regional politics. Another pitfall is to assume that because India is the largest country in SAARC, an Indian leader must have been the first Chairman. In fact, summit chairmanship usually goes to the head of the host country. To avoid errors, remember the simple link: first SAARC summit in Dhaka and first Chairman as President H. M. Ershad of Bangladesh.

Final Answer:
The first Chairman of SAARC was Lt.Gen H.M.Ershad, the president of Bangladesh at the time of the founding summit in Dhaka in 1985.