Sheikh Hasina: 'South Asia must move beyond Majority-Minority mindset'

The Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that South Asian countries must move beyond Majority-Minority mindset and asserted that 'pluralism' is the strength of the region. The Bangladesh Prime Minister was speaking at a session of India Economic Summit.

"In the next decade, we should follow certain principles -- first, we must try to secure peace, stability and harmony for every individual across our societies. We must move beyond the majority-minority mindset. Pluralism has been the strength of South Asia," she said.

Sheikh Hasina roots for cooperation in South Asia

At the event, PM Sheikh Hasina also asserted for the increased cooperation in the region. "Establishing of connectivity will give a door to us to cooperate with each other," she said. She also noted that inequalities in the region must not be widened. The least developed countries should get priority and the focus should be on mutual trust and respect between all the countries, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister said.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister also spoke about strengthening unity in the South Asian Countries and said, "Countries in the region should be able to celebrate South Asia's diversity — regional, ethnic and linguistic."

PM Hasina on India-Bangladesh business ties

Speaking at the WEF summit, the Bangladesh PM said, "We also want to see trade and investment together where Indian big investors can set up industries in Bangladesh and export the products to the north-eastern states of India and South-east Asian countries taking advantage of the improved connectivity between us."

READ | Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to begin four-day visit to India on Oct 3

Bangladesh PM inaugurates India-Bangladesh Business Forum

The Bangladesh PM is on a four-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and also to attend the World Economic Summit in the national Capital. On Friday, the Bangladesh PM also inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Business Forum and spoke about the economic opportunities for Bangladesh. 

READ | Sheikh Hasina says, 'NRC is not a problem' at event in New Delhi

Hasina on NRC

PM Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5 for a bilateral meeting. Recently, PM Modi and his counterpart Sheikh Hasina met in New York for the United Nations General Assembly where PM Modi assured her that NRC would not be a concern for Bangladesh. Following this, the Bangladesh Prime Minister said, “I don’t see any problem. I had a talk with Prime Minister Modi. Everything is OK.”

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(With PTI inputs)