Contain terrorism, achieve dev: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the leaders of the BRICS and the BIMSTEC to join hands to deal with terrorism and violent extremism to achieve sustainable development through security and stability.
‘All our efforts for sustainable development depend on peace, security and stability. As a responsible member of the global community, Bangladesh maintains ‘zero tolerance’ to any act of terrorism or violent extremism. We must join hands to deal with terrorism and violent extremism as well,’ she said.
Hasina was delivering her statement at the BRICS and BIMSTEC Outreach Summit at the Indian tourist city of Goa, according to United News of Bangladesh. 
The two-day summit kicked off on Saturday with the theme ‘BRICS-BIMSTEC: A Partnership in Opportunities’.
Chaired by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, the outreach meeting was also addressed by other leaders from BRICS and BIMSTEC member states, Chinese president Xi Jinping, South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma, Brazil’s president Michel Temer, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Nepal’s 
prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Bhutan’s prime minister Tshering Tobgay, Myanmar’s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena and Thai vice foreign minister Virasakdi Futrakul. 
Modi said the time to condemn the state-sponsored terrorism ‘is long gone. It is time to stand up and act, and act boldly’, according to Press Trust of India. 
‘Let our today’s meet be a beginning of a ‘new conversation’ for collaboration between BRICS and BIMSTEC aimed at greater peace and development,’ Hasina said.
She outlined three specific ways for BRICS to engage with BIMSTEC like developing quality and resilient infrastructure, focus on development of science, technology and innovation capabilities and engage in a conversation by BRICS and BIMSTEC to sustain economic development.
Hasina said a large part of BIMSTEC firstly needed to develop quality and resilient infrastructure as countries like Bangladesh needed billions of dollars of investment. 
‘Now that the BRICS countries have put forward two new Multilateral Development Banks, I would call for the Banks’ special attention to the opportunities in the low-income countries,’ she said.
Secondly, she said, sizable part of the population of the member-countries of the two forums needed access to technologies in farming, water, sanitation and basic health. 
In the BRICS countries, Hasina said there were institutions which led the world by bringing life-saving solutions and inventions. ’We would call upon our leaders from BRICS to launch a wider cooperative agenda for technology. Collaboration among higher education and research institutions for development and sharing of technologies could be mutually beneficial.’
​Thirdly, she said, both BRICS and BIMSTEC could engage in a conversation to sustain our economic development as the global economy moves on. ‘We need to look at “sustainability” issues with purpose. It could be opportune for us to link our value chains and markets aligning with the norms and trends of global supply chains.’
In BIMSTEC, the PM said, the member countries are working on our own regional value chains. ‘While our countries are at different levels of development, our two groupings can surely join hands on developing value chains for products and services.’
Referring to the regional hydroelectricity potential of over 300 gigawatts, Hasina said there was also vast marine resources in the Bay of Bengal, which were yet to be fully mapped and tapped.
Sheikh Hasina arrived in Goa on Sunday morning to join BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 
She joined dinner hosted by the Indian PM and cultural programmes with the BRICS-BIMSTEC leaders.
She was scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi Sunday night on the sideline of the summit.
Sheikh Hasina will return home today morning. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net