No development without peace, security: Bangladesh PM

New York, Sep 27: Sustainable development cannot be achieved in the "absence of durable peace and security", said

Prime Minister

Saturday as she underlined the importance of a "balanced, pragmatic and ambitious agenda" while the global body frames the development goals for 2016-2030.

"We cannot achieve sustainable development in the absence of durable peace and security. The volatile global security situation continues to pose significant challenge to international development," the prime minister said while addressing the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.

"Bangladesh believes that threat to peace anywhere is a threat for the entire humanity."

Stating that terrorism and extremism remained major impediments to global peace and development, she said: "My government maintains a zero-tolerance policy to all forms of terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation and religion-based politics. We remain firm in our resolve not to allow any terrorist individual or entity to use our territory against any state."

Hasina expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people. Condemning the killing of innocent Palestinians in the recent Gaza-Israel conflict, she sought a permanent solution through creation of an "independent and viable state of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders and with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital".

She warned that extremism was trying to destroy the "secular fabric of our nation".

"The anti-liberation forces continue to remain active... They resort to religious militancy and violent extremism in every opportunity.

"Under the direct patronage of the BNP-Jamaat Alliance government from 2001 to 2006, they coalesced to form terrorist outfits that perpetrated bomb and grenade attacks killing secular political leaders and activists."

Highlighting her government's achievements, she said: "These gruesome attacks cemented my resolve to create a strong, legal and regulatory regime for countering terrorism including adoption of the amended Anti-Terrorism Act 2013 and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2012."

On the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the prime minister said, "Bangladesh has already met or, is on track to meet MDG-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Poverty has been reduced from 57 percent in 1991 to below 25 percent."

"We have reached agreements with friendly countries such as India, China and Japan to develop large-scale power plants to meet our growing demands by 2021," she added.

The prime minister also touched upon issues like women empowerment and migrant rights, as well the global climate change challenge.

"No challenge is as complex, widespread and formidable as climate change to countries like ours. A recent Asian Development Bank report estimated the mean economic cost of climate change and adaptation for Bangladesh to be between 2 percent and 9 percent of GDP by 2100," she said.

IANS